Reassessment of hydropower necessary

The expansion of hydropower is in the overriding public interest. But in many places, outdated analyses do not provide for expansion. Proponents of hydropower also point to the positive benefits for the water balance and biodiversity.

15.03.2023 – In the meantime, it looked as if hydropower would be denied the overriding public interest and its subsidies would be withdrawn. But in the end, and after pressure from industry representatives, the coalition partners in Berlin agreed that hydropower should remain part of the accelerated energy transition in an amendment to the so-called Renewable Energy Sources Act – EEG for short. Thus, analogous to wind power and solar energy, these are now in the overriding public interest, which should facilitate planning and construction.

But in many places, outdated analyses of the federal states do not foresee any potential for hydropower. This is currently a considerable problem for the further expansion of hydropower, as the law firm Prometheus from Leipzig has determined in an expert opinion that energiezukunft has obtained. As an example, lawyer and co-author of the report, Christian Falke, named the problems in Saxony at a press conference. There, the last analyses of hydropower date back to 2010, with the realization that there is no potential.

Changed supply and market situation

Prometheus and the Hydropower Association of Central Germany – which commissioned the report – are now calling for a reassessment of the actual potential of hydropower in the federal states, taking into account the amendment to the EEG and the changed supply and market situation. The energy crisis resulting from the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine gave the amendment to the EEG additional impetus to achieve the goal of energy security with renewable energies as quickly as possible.

In addition, the responsible authorities must be instructed to take the interests of the EEG amendment into account in all decisions. To this end, it is important to train employees accordingly. Bavaria is already a pioneer in the service instructions to put hydropower in the overriding public interest and to identify potential, as Martin Richter, President of the Hydropower Association of Central Germany, acknowledges. In many other authorities in Germany, however, concerns of environmental and species protection are being put forward in order to reject hydropower projects.

However, when criticizing the environmental impact of hydropower, its proponents point to many means that do not prevent migratory fish from progressing through hydropower structures, for example. In addition to the facilities, there are often so-called fish ladders, fish lifts or fish ladder snails, so that the aquatic creatures can migrate up and down. In addition, Hans-Josef Fell, President of the Energy Watch Group and co-founder of the EEG, points out that hydropower plants can counteract drought in certain areas.

Better regulation of demand

"When rivers and lakes dry up, species protection is over," says Fell. Hydroelectric power plants, on the other hand, would retain water that would otherwise run off uncontrollably and, if necessary, release it into the environment in a controlled manner in order to counteract drought and generate climate-friendly energy. In addition, hydropower is especially important in winter, when little solar and wind energy is available. "Then there is basically more water available than in hot and dry summers," Fell said at the press conference.

But instead of building new hydroelectric power plants, they are being demolished in many places, criticize Fell and Richter. Fell refers to the dismantling of hydroelectric power plants in the upper Ahr Valley. His assumption: With the hydroelectric power plants, the flood disaster in the summer of 2021 might have been milder, as they would have held back some of the flood masses. The Hydropower Association of Central Germany is calling for a moratorium on the demolition of hydroelectric power plants, rather it is now necessary to re-identify the potential. One example is the possible potential in the subsequent landscapes of former lignite mining areas. Mg

source : Lack of expansion: Reassessment of hydropower necessary - energiezukunft