WaterPower Canada is pleased to release the first in a series of reports discussing hydropower and its role in the Canadian electricity system. This report, titled “Hydropower’s Value to a Net-Zero Electricity Grid,” was prepared by Power Advisory for WaterPower Canada and is intended to provide readers with an understanding of the technical needs of our electricity system and illustrate how hydropower addresses these needs. The paper discusses concepts such as frequency and inertia, ramping and load balancing, voltage and reactive power, along with ancillary services and black start capability.
These capabilities provided by hydropower facilities, along with firm generation and long-term storage, will become even more important as operators add variable renewables in the form of wind and solar generation to their grids and fossil-fuel generation is retired. When these issues are considered, hydropower becomes a critical element in maintaining power system reliability.
WaterPower Canada is grateful to Energy and Natural Resources Canada for funding the completion of this report.