Small-Scale Hydro Power

Cost Savings Generated by Small-Scale Hydro Power

Since small-scale hydro power serves a limited area or small community, it can be a very efficient use of money. Costs of small hydro are extremely site specific and can vary depending on water rights and existing infrastructure. Colorado was one of the pioneering states for small hydro power, which has existed here for over a century.  This history provides a number of areas in Colorado with the opportunity to take advantage of existing old hydro plants, and the cost savings they can generate. Water is another renewable resource that, when used responsibly can be a relatively inexpensive source of power.

Economic Benefits of Small-Scale Hydro Power for Colorado

CIEA has five members who own more than 40 MW of small scale hydro power plants in Colorado. These plants employ a number of people and generate substantial tax revenue for Colorado and some of its counties.

Environmental Advantages of Small-Scale Hydro Power

Large-scale hydro and the dams and reservoirs required for large hydroelectric generation have created controversy because of the environmental impact some have had on aquatic ecosystems. Small-scale hydro does not create the same environmental issues. The extent of environmental impact is very site dependent, but careful impact analysis can be conducted and minimal water diverted so that the least amount of aquatic life is impacted. Like other renewables, small-scale hydro emits no GHGs during the generation process.

Reliability of Small-Scale Hydro Power

Water usually flows so it is considered a more reliable resource than solar or wind power. While small-scale hydro does not rely on a reservoir to supply constant water, and this means less environmental impact, it also leads to some inconsistency in flow levels. Flow levels can be forecast, like wind and solar, and usually a minimal flow level can be accommodated, which makes reliability less of an issue for small hydro than for wind or solar.