From Oregon to Johannesburg, micro-hydropower offers a solution for drought hit cities | Guardian Sustainable Business | The Guardian
How quickly will SAWS and CPS use micro-hydropower to be more profitable and increase their value to San Antonio residents?
To see how closely water and energy are linked, you only have to look at the west coast of the US, where four years of severe drought have led to historically low levels in water reservoirs, forcing some hydroelectric plants to shut down or cut production.It’s little wonder, then, that new micro-hydropower technology that allows cities to generate electricity from the water running through their pipes is gaining worldwide attention.Water-hungry energy, energy-hungry water“The drought has fundamentally changed the way our electricity is produced,” says California-based Peter Gleick.Gleick is president of the Pacific Institute, a water thinktank which reported in March that in the three years to October 2014 hydropower’s contribution to California’s electricity supply fell to less than 12%, from a previous average of 18%.