Hydropower Hybridization
Integrating hydropower with energy storage and other technologies to improve flexibility, resilience and grid performance
Why Hybridize Hydropower?
Hydropower facilities are being asked to respond to changing market conditions, support a more dynamic electric grid and maintain reliable service during disruptions. Pairing hydropower with batteries, floating solar, advanced controls and other technologies can help operators increase flexibility, improve performance and capture new value from existing assets.
Grid flexibility
Hybrid plants respond faster and across more timescales to balance supply and demand.
Lower operating costs
Sharing duty between hydro and storage reduces cycling, maintenance, and fuel-equivalent water use.
Higher asset value
Hybrids capture more revenue streams (energy, capacity, ancillary services) than hydro alone.
Firmer capacity
Combined output is more predictable and dispatchable, strengthening system reliability.
Grid resilience
Hybrids can black-start and sustain critical loads during outages.
Environmental compatibility
Hybrids meet grid needs while honoring downstream flow and licensing requirements.
How INL Supports Hydropower Hybridization
INL works with utilities, technology developers, government agencies and researchers to evaluate, demonstrate and deploy hydropower hybrid systems.
Partnership opportunities include technical assistance, cooperative research and development agreements and other collaborative projects.
Techno-economic analysis
Assess project costs and potential economic value. Understand the impact of market and PPA structures on project economics.
Field demonstrations
Test hydropower technologies and operating strategies under real-world conditions.
Grid integration studies
Examine how hydropower systems can support grid operations and resilience.
Regulatory analysis
Assess regulatory considerations affecting hydropower projects and technology deployment.
Tools for Hydropower Hybridization
HydroBoost
HydroBoost helps hydropower operators and project developers evaluate how batteries could improve plant operations and revenue. The software optimizes the hourly dispatch of hydropower and battery assets using forecast electricity-market prices and can be applied to run-of-river and reservoir storage facilities.
AquaPV
AquaPV helps developers, utilities, policymakers and other stakeholders evaluate the viability of floating photovoltaic projects on U.S. reservoirs. The online toolkit supports capital-cost estimation, techno-economic analysis, solar-generation estimates, resource-potential assessments and analysis of potential environmental interactions.
Research Areas
INL is advancing hydropower hybridization across several research areas:
Hybrid systems & operations
Developing and evaluating integrated solutions that combine hydropower with other technologies to improve flexibility, performance and value.
- Battery-hydropower integration
- Operational optimization
- Floating photovoltaic evaluation
Grid services & resilience
Analyzing how hydropower hybrid systems can support grid operations, enhance reliability and improve resilience.
- Grid-services analysis
- Resilience studies
Economic & regulatory analysis
Assessing the economic potential of hybrid systems and addressing regulatory considerations that affect deployment.
- Economic assessments
- Regulatory streamlining
Strengthening Rural Grid Resilience
In 2023, INL partnered with Fall River Electric Cooperative to demonstrate how existing hydropower resources could help a rural community recover from an outage. At the cooperative’s Idaho hydropower plant, researchers combined advanced controls with INL’s portable Microgrid in a Box to restart the grid following a simulated blackout and maintain power to critical services.
The demonstration accelerated Fall River’s ability to deploy a hydropower-and-battery system and created an approach that could benefit small utilities nationwide.
Water Power Research Partners
INL collaborates with utilities, developers and other organizations on hydropower hybridization research and demonstration projects.
Natel Energy • Rye Development • Synergics • Turlock Irrigation District • Northern California Power Agency • Chelan County Public Utility District • Idaho Falls Power • Fall River Electric Cooperative • Eagle Creek Renewable Energy • Cat Creek Energy
Publications & Presentations
Explore research supporting the development and deployment of hydropower hybrid systems:
Hydro Hybrids Economic Valuation Tool
This presentation outlines a tool for evaluating hydropower-battery operations, market participation and potential economic benefits.
Connect with our Team
Interested in evaluating a technology, applying an INL tool or exploring a research partnership?
Contact our team to discuss your needs and potential ways to work with INL.
Additional Resources