Hydroelectric Power Production
WorldEconomicThe world's primary regions for producing hydroelectricity at dammed river power plants
Global Energy ObservatoryThe map shows the distribution of some of the world’s major hydroelectric dams and power-generating stations. In North America, these facilities are found in Canada in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Labrador. In the United States, they are on major rivers in the Pacific Northwest (for example, the Columbia River), Arizona and Utah (on the Colorado River), and in the Northeast in New York (on the Niagara River between United States and Canada) and New England. In South America, dams generate hydro power in Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil (particularly on the Paraná River and its tributaries), and in Argentina on the Rio de la Plata and on rivers that flow from the Andes mountains. In Europe, major hydroelectric facilities are found in Portugal, Norway, France, Switzerland, Ukraine (on the Dnieper River), and in Russia (on the Volga and on rivers in Siberia, which is in Asia). In Africa, these facilities have been constructed on the Nile River in Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia and between Zambia and Zimbabwe on the Zambesi River. In Southwest Asia, hydroelectric dams generate power on the Euphrates River in Turkey, the Tigris in Iraq, and Iran’s Zagros Mountains. In Central Asia, Tajikistan has a hydroelectric dam. In South Asia, dams have been constructed on rivers in northern Pakistan; in India on rivers in Kashmir in the north as well as in several places in central and southern India; and in Bhutan. In Southeast Asia, these facilities are found in Laos and Vietnam and in Indonesia on the islands of Java and Borneo. In East Asia, southwestern and central China have numerous hydroelectric dams, and there are also a few in northern China. Japan has a major hydroelectric dam between Tokyo and Osaka. The map does not show any hydropower production for Oceania.
Bad Creek Hydroelectric Power Plant SC USA | Bath County Pumped Storage Hydroelecric Power Plant VA USA | Beauharnois Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Bersimis-1 Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Blenheim Gilboa Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant NY USA | Bonneville Hydro Power Plant OR USA | Boundary Dam Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Castaic Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant CA USA | Chief Joseph Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Churchill Falls Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | G M Shrum (W.A.C. Bennett) Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Glen Canyon Dam Hydro Power Plant AZ USA | Grand Coulee Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Helms Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant CA USA | Hoover Dam Hydro Power Plant AZ/NV USA | John Day Hydro Power Plant OR USA | Kettle Rapids Hydroelectric generating Station Canada | La Grande-1 Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | La Grande-2-A Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | La grande-3 Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | La grande-4 Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Limestone Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Long Spruce Hydroelectric Geneerating Station Canada | Ludington Hydro Power Plant MI USA | Manic-2 (Jean-Lesage) Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Manic-3 (Rene-Levesque) Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Manic-5 Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Manic-5-PA Hydroelectric generating Station Canada | Mica Creek Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Muddy Run Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant PA USA | Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant MA USA | Outardes-3 Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | R.H. Saunders Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant TN USA | Revelstoke Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Robert Moses Niagara Hydro Power Plant NY USA | Robert-Bourassa Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Hydro Hydro Power Plant GA USA | Rocky Reach Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Sir Adam Beck II Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | The Dalles Hydro Power Plant OR USA | Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Plant Kyrgyzstan | Wanapum Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Class | Rank | Million Metric Tons | Class | Rank | Percent of electricity generation | -0.25 to 0.25 | 0.75 to 1.0 | 1.0 to 1.25 | 1.25 to 1.5 | 1.5 to 1.75 | Coastal Plain | Northeast | South Central | North Central | Upper Plains | Prairie | East Central | East Central | South Central | Southeast | Southwest | Central | Southwest | Central | Upper Delta | Northeast | South Central | Southwest | Northern Valley | Southwest | Central | Piedmont Plateau | Southeast | Gulf | Northwest | Southeast | Southeast | Northwest | East Central | South Central | Coastal | Southeast | Bootheel | East Central | Appalachian Mountain | Eastern | West Central | Central | Eastern Valley | South Central | Lower Delta | Northwest | North Central | West | Central | West Olympic Coast | Eastern | West Central | Middle | West Ozarks | North Central | Northeast | South Central | West Central | Northeast | East Texas | Central | East Ozarks | Western | West Central Plains | Cumberland Plateau | Northwest | West Central | Northeast | Southern Mountains | North Central | Western | Southwest | Northwest Prairie | Northeast Prairie | North Central | East Central | Mountain | Central | Southeast | North Central | Okanogan Big Bend | Central | Edwards Plateau | South Central | Puget Sound Lowlands | Northeast | East Central | Southern | Central | South Panhandle | West Southwest | West Central | Panhandle | Southern Coastal Plain | East Olympic Cascade Foothills | Northeast | Northwest | Central Mountains | South Central | East Central | Southeast | Southeast | Northern Cascades | Central | Southwestern Mountain | Northeast | North Central | West Central | Allegheny Plateau | North Central | Southwestern | South Central | Low Rolling Plains | Southwest | Southeast | North Central | Northeast | North | West Central | Aleutians | North Central | East Southeast | Willamette Valley | Southwest | Central Piedmont | Central Mountain | Southwest Plateau | North Central | South Central Mountains | Southwest | Central Coastal Plain | Cascade Mountains West | Western Plateau | Central | Northeastern | Blue Grass | Northwest | South Central | Western Piedmont | Southern | Southeast | Central | Northern Coastal Plain | Northern Mountains | Southern Piedmont | Snake Drainage | East Central | Southeast | Central Basin | South Central | Central | West Central | North Central | Northwest | Northeastern | Northern Piedmont | Northwestern | Southeast | Southwest | East Central | East Central | Coastal Area | Southwestern Valleys | South Central | East Slope Cascades | Northeast | North Central Prairies | Southwest | Upper Susquehanna | Lower Valley | South | Northeast | Eastern Piedmont | Southwest | North Central Canyons | Central | East | Middle Susquehanna | Northwest | North Central | Southeast | South Central | North Central | Northeast | Southwest | Northwest | Northeast Gulf | Southwestern Highlands | Central | Sacramento Drainage | Southwest | Tidewater | North Central | South Central | Central Hills | High Plains | Panhandle | Upper Coast | South Central | Central Lakes | Northwestern | North Coast Drainage | Northeast | Southwest | West Central | Appalachian Mountains | Northeastern | Arkansas Drainage | South Central | Southeast | Northwest | Southeast | High Plateau | Upper Snake River Plains | Southeastern | Eastern Highlands | Mohawk Valley | Southwestern Valleys | Central Mountains | Central | Eastern Plateau | West Central | Cheyenne Niobrara Drainage | Northwest | Southwest Lower | Northeast Interior Basins | Northwest Plateau | Western | Northwest | Black Hills | East Central | Northeastern | North Central | South Central Lower | Palouse Blue Mountains | Central | North Central | Northeast Hills | Everglades and Southwest Coast | Northern Mountains | Northwest Gulf | Panhandle | Wind River | Southeast | Southwest | North Central | South Central | Platte Drainage | Northern | Western | West Central | Northeastern Valleys | Southwestern Mountains | Rio Grande Drainage | Northwestern Plateau | Southeast Interior | Southwestern | Northeastern Plains | Central Plains | Lower Southern | Northeast | South Central | Great Lakes | Green and Bear Drainage | Yellowstone Drainage | East Upper | West Central | San Joaquin Drainage | Kansas Drainage | North Central | Lower East Coast | Belle Fourche Drainage | Lower Susquehanna | North Central | Northeast | Trans Pecos | Northeastern Shore | Powder, Little Mo and Tongue Drainages | South Central | Dixie | Upper Southern | Northwest | Central | Northeast | Northern Mountains | Southern Desert | North Central | West Upper | Southeast | Big Horn | West Central Lower | Central | Southeast Lower | Cook Inlet | East Central | Central Coast Drainage | Pocono Mountains | North | West | North | Lower Platte | Northeastern | Central Eastern Shore | Coastal | Northern Plateau | South | Central Lower | South Interior | East Central Lower | Northwest | Upper Platte | Champlain Valley | Central | Northeast | East Central Mountains | Southeastern Shore | Southeastern Plains | Northwest | Central Valley | Southeastern | Central | Western | Hudson Valley | Northwest | Northeast | Southeastern Piedmont | Extreme Southern | Colorado Drainage | Central Highlands | Bristol Bay | Coastal | Southeast Desert Basins | Coastal | Northern | Southeast | East Central | Northeast Lower | North Central | East Central | Northeast Interior | Southern | Rhode Island (Entire State) | South Central | Uinta Basin | Southwest | South Central | North Central | Southern | St | Northwest Lower | Northern | Coastal | South Coast Drainage | Coastal | West Coast | Central Interior | North Slope | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.311% | 1.20% | 0.159% | 0.444% | 2.10% |