Hydro Energy

Hydro power in the Australian Energy Market

% MW

Hydro Energy Production During December 2023

Hydroelectricity is used extensively in the Australian electricity grid. It provides for most of Tasmania's energy requirements and elsewhere is used both for base and peak load generation thanks to its high ramp rate/responsiveness.

The default, capacity factor graph shows the output as a percentage of registered capacity. Alternatively, you may view the actual output in megawatts.

Hydropower stations may be included or excluded from the graphs by toggling the check boxes. The total will update accordingly.

Data for the month-long graphs is sampled at 3 hour intervals to reduce the number of data points.

Hydro Generators

ID	Name	Source/Technology	Registered Capacity (MW)
New South Wales (NSW1)
BLOWERNG	Blowering Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	80
GUTHEGA	Guthega Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	60
HUMENSW	Hume (NSW) Hydro Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	29
SHGEN	Shoalhaven Power Station (Bendeela And Kangaroo Valley Power Station And Pumps)	Water, Hydro - Gravity	240
SNOWYP	Tumut 3 Pumps	Water, Hydro - Gravity	600
TUMUT3	Tumut 3 Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	1,500
UPPTUMUT	Tumut Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	616
			3,125
Queensland (QLD1)
BARRON-1	Barron Gorge Power Station	Water, Run of River	30
BARRON-2	Barron Gorge Power Station	Water, Run of River	30
KAREEYA1	Kareeya Power Station	Water, Run of River	21
KAREEYA2	Kareeya Power Station	Water, Run of River	21
KAREEYA3	Kareeya Power Station	Water, Run of River	21
KAREEYA4	Kareeya Power Station	Water, Run of River	21
W/HOE#1	Wivenhoe Power Station	Water, Pump Storage	285
W/HOE#2	Wivenhoe Power Station	Water, Pump Storage	285
			714
Tasmania (TAS1)
BASTYAN	Bastyan Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	80
BUTLERSG	Butlers Gorge Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	14
CETHANA	Cethana Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	85
CLUNY	Cluny Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	19
DEVILS_G	Devils Gate Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	60
FISHER	Fisher Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	43
GORDON	Gordon Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	432
JBUTTERS	John Butters Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	144
LEM_WIL	Lemonthyme / Wilmot Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	82
LI_WY_CA	Catagunya / Liapootah / Wayatinah Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	174
LK_ECHO	Lake Echo Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	32
MACKNTSH	Mackintosh Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	80
MEADOWBK	Meadowbank Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	40
PALOONA	Paloona Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	28
POAT110	Poatina Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	100
POAT220	Poatina Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	200
REECE1	Reece Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	116
REECE2	Reece Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	116
REPULSE	Repulse Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	28
ROWALLAN	Rowallan Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	10
TARRALEA	Tarraleah Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	90
TREVALLN	Trevallyn Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	93
TRIBUTE	Tribute Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	83
TUNGATIN	Tungatinah Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	125
			2,274
Victoria (VIC1)
CLOVER	Clover Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	29
DARTM1	Dartmouth Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	185
EILDON1	Eildon Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	60
EILDON2	Eildon Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	60
HUMEV	Hume (Vic) Hydro Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	29
MCKAY1	Bogong / Mackay Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	300
MURRAY	Murray Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	1,500
RUBICON	Rubicon Mountain Streams Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	13
WKIEWA1	West Kiewa Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	31
WKIEWA2	West Kiewa Power Station	Water, Hydro - Gravity	31
			2,238
Total registered
			8,351

About the Australian Electricity Grid

The electricity grid managed by the AEMO covers New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania and is the world's largest interconnected power system.

The interface between generators (producers of energy) and consumers (industrial users, businesses and homes) is known as the National Electricity Market (NEM). It is the system though which the supply of energy to local distributors is managed, along with the price of that energy.

Most of Australia's electricity needs are fulfilled by power stations which burn fossil fuels like coal and natural gas to drive steam turbines.

A large part is also played by hydroelectric power stations while wind power contributes in line with meteorological conditions.

There are also many smaller generators which use solar technology, biomass, bagasse etc. to create electricity.

A relative newcomer is the installation, en masse, of domestic rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV). AEMO provides daily files summarising the performance of rooftop solar generation by region.