Hydropower is one of the oldest renewable energy sources on the market, however in many respects it tends to live the shadow of its clean energy counterparts, solar and wind. As the race for renewables picks up steam, investors are funneling billions of dollars into the latter energy producers, often overlooking the merits of waterpower. Perhaps they shouldn't.
Tor Syverud, head of investment management hydropower at Aquila Capital, views hydropower as an asset class with untapped potential. For one, hydropower is a proven technology that has been around more than 150 years. Because of its durability, it can provide stable and predictable returns with no technological risk, notes Syverud in a video interview with IREI. But that is only part of what makes it appealing. Hydropower can also act like the backbone in an energy mix, producing energy when wind and solar cannot, offering a more balanced dispatch of power into the market.
“Hydro often has some storage capacit
