Hydro in Europe: Powering Renewables - Full Report - Eurelectric

More must be done NOW to fully exploit Europe’s hydropower potential.
EURELECTRIC therefore urges policymakers on a European and national level to:
• Promote awareness among policymakers and the wider public of hydropower’s
key role and its unique multiple assets for the electricity system.
• Promote with all possible means the sustainable development of remaining hydro
resources.
• Address on a case-by-case basis the trade-offs between implementing existing
legislation and further developing hydropower and pumped storage.
• Develop efficient interconnections and grids to ensure large-scale system benefits
from pumped storage for the entire European electricity system.
• Harmonise grid fees for pumped storage power plants on a European level.
• Reject all attempts by TSOs to claim property of pumped storage plants.
• Ease permitting procedures.
• Ensure that the European Commission’s DG Energy, DG Climate and DG
Environment each have a specific contact for hydro who is aware of the
specificities of this technology, and promotes it in the European interest.
• Harmonize the implementation of water and energy related EU policy instruments
• Formalize cross-sector collaboration between DG Energy, DG Environment and DG
Climate on hydropower, a technology involved in generation of renewable energy,
energy storage, system security, water storage, quantity and quality management,
climate change adaptation and climate change mitigation.
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