Hydropower

This report by Ember analyzes the impact of drought on hydroelectric power generation in Türkiye, detailing how declining water availability increases reliance on natural gas imports and threatens energy security.

• Drought has caused a long-term decline in the efficiency of hydroelectric plants in Türkiye, with the average capacity factor dropping from 38% during 1996–2005 to 26% over the last decade. This trend is specifically evident in the country's three largest plants: the Atatürk, Karakaya, and Keban dams.
• Short-term annual fluctuations in hydroelectric generation due to drought can exceed 20 TWh, which represents more than 5% of Türkiye's electricity consumption. This volatility is noted as being larger than the 19 TWh increase resulting from the doubling of solar generation over the previous two years.
• Because hydropower and natural gas plants substitute for one another in Türkiye, drought-induced declines in hydro generation lead to increased natural gas consumption and imports. The long-term impact of drought on energy imports is estimated at an average of $1.8 billion per year, while the decline at the three largest plants alone has led to an additional $400 million in annual gas imports.

APA

Ember (2026). Hydropower. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/hydropower/

Chicago

Ember. Hydropower. 2026. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/hydropower/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Hydropower |date=8 April 2026 |url=https://ember-energy.org/chapter/hydropower/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2026hydropower, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Hydropower}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://ember-energy.org/chapter/hydropower/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }