COLUMBUS, OH: American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) celebrates the long history and distinct advantages of hydropower.

For more than 125 years, hydropower has powered this nation with clean, renewable energy. Given that hydropower complements other forms of renewable energy generation, such as wind and solar, it is critical to the vitality of the nation’s clean energy infrastructure and resiliency of the electrical grid. Hydropower ensures the stability of the grid by being flexible enough to quickly provide dispatchable generation, while helping to keep the power system in balance and reducing transmission congestion.

AMP operates one of the largest run-of-the-river developments of renewable hydroelectric generation in the region. The six projects that AMP participates in along the Ohio River provide more than 400 MW of renewable energy generation. Additionally, a number of AMP member communities operate their own locally-sited hydroelectric facilities.

The U.S. hydropower fleet is comprised of approximately 2,200 power plants with a total capacity of approximately 102 GW. In 2018, hydropower made up 7 percent of total U.S. Generation and 39.5 percent of renewable electric generation. Hydropower is also a major job creator, employing more than 66,000 workers.

As the backbone of the nation’s electricity system, hydropower – a long term, zero-carbon resource – has and will continue to play a critical role in helping states and customers reach their clean energy targets.

To celebrate National Hydropower Day, AMP is sharing facts about hydropower on social media. Follow @AmericanMunicipalPower on Facebook and @ amppublicpower on Instagram and Twitter, as well as #hydroday to learn more.

To learn more about AMP’s hydropower fleet, click here.