The Chinese understood this, and with them the Indians, the Turks and the Ethiopians. Hydropower will have a future in global energy strategies, so it's wise to invest today. On the contrary, Europe is not doing enough, despite the great potential of its territory. Finance and long-term strategies are not meeting in this case. Qhen the International Energy Agency - IEA - announced that investments in the coming years could drop by almost a third compared to the decade 2010-2020, the question arose as to whether the post-pandemic recovery plans were made burden of the problem. Putting fresh money into the production structures, modernizing the plants, communicating with the populations close to the reservoirs.
In reality, said Fatih Birol director of the Paris agency, our studies show that “ energy hydroelectricity is the forgotten giant of clean electricity. Indeed, it must be reinserted into the energy and climate agenda if countries are serious about achieving their net-zero goals”. A good green transition, also according to other analysts, needs more assimilable and compatible sources. The sun and the wind, while necessary and well structured in national energy scenarios, are traditionally linked to natural phenomena of radiation or ventilation. Hydroelectric plants feed on water, they need dams, efficient turbines and storage processes. They are low-emission and technologically attractive for the plant engineering industry. If dams scare the inhabitants of areas suitable for hosting them and environmentalists are not enthusiastic about the effects on biodiversity, a little lesson in utility it comes from China, India, Türkiye and Ethiopia who are planning them. Let's think about when Italy and the others stopped believing in energy from water to push on oil and fuel oil. Hindsight always leaves feelings of guilt, but it's never too late to resume a path of development.
The Agency in its report on theHydropower Special Market writes that the Global hydroelectric capacity is expected to rise 17% by 2030. But the four countries will contribute 40% to its growth, considering it very easy to exploit water, perhaps more than the sun and the windo. An expert like Birol therefore has an easy game in maintaining that many hydroelectric plants "can scale electricity generation up and down much more rapidly than nuclear, coal or natural gas generation”. This way you also enter the great risk of decarbonization, as half of the world's economically viable hydropower potential is untapped. Conversely, the money that Europe invests for the green revolution should stimulate additional investments by companies, open negotiating spaces with local administrations, as is happening in Abruzzo.
The emerging economies within a few years could, therefore, dwarf the mature ones of strong Europe for having been able to focus on energy integration necessary to combat climate change but also to make better use of water resources. Lastly, a particular annotation of the Report regards the bureaucratic passages for the new plants which are everywhere cumbersome and discouraging. Praise to Draghi, Cingolani, Brunetta and Gelmini, if they really manage to de-bureaucratize Italy and set an example for everyone else.
