Water Management: Grid Flexibility / Drought / Market Dynamics / Data Centers
CLEAN CURRENTS 2026
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Day: 9/23/2026
Room Number: CC Central: Panel Discussions Room
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Hydropower sits at the intersection of some of the most consequential forces reshaping the electricity generation landscape: surging use of variable renewable energy, prolonged drought, evolving wholesale markets, and the explosive growth of data centers.
This panel brings together researchers, engineers, and industry innovators to explore how hydropower owners and operators can adapt and thrive in this rapidly changing environment.
Panelists will address:
-- Grid flexibility under high renewable penetration; how growing solar and wind reshape hourly price signals, shift the timing of hydropower's peak value, and alter capacity availability and ancillary service capability under low-water futures
-- Drought and hydrological stress; how declining reservoir elevations constrain turbine output, affect long-term energy contracts, and threaten grid reliability when major hydro assets become intermittently unavailable
-- Hybridization for higher performance; how pairing pumped storage with battery energy storage unlocks new market participation, improves plant performance, and positions hydro to meet evolving grid service requirements.
-- Data centers as a strategic revenue opportunity; how co-location and operational pricing arbitrage can generate material, high-margin revenue; how flexible and inflexible loads each present distinct strategies that could help prevent license-surrender decisions
Attendees will leave with a systems-level view of how water operations, wholesale markets, and emerging revenue streams interact - and practical strategies for navigating climate variability, regulatory constraints, and the high-renewables grid ahead.
