Reliable records of monthly hydropower generation are essential for analyzing seasonal patterns in power supply and planning for long-term energy resilience. In U.S. hydropower plants, however, these monthly values have historically been imprecisely estimated or else altogether unavailable. This data gap has limited the accuracy of studies exploring interrelated outcomes such as hydropower reliability, drought vulnerability, and seasonal power availability.
To help fill this gap, researcher Sean Turner at Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed RectifHyd Plus, a dataset providing monthly generation estimates from many of the largest hydropower plants across the U.S. from 1980–2019, all with unprecedented accuracy. The dataset improves on previous estimates by incorporating plant-specific hydrological data, offering researchers and analysts far more realistic monthly generation profiles to work from.
What’s New in RectifHyd Plus
RectifHyd Plus builds on the earlier RectifHyd dataset with expanded plant coverage, refined estimation methods, and integration of new sources of proxy data. The new dataset offers significantly improved monthly resolution for researchers conducting grid modeling, reliability assessments, and water-energy system studies.
Key features of RectifHyd Plus include:
- Monthly generation estimates for roughly 600 of the nation’s largest hydropower plants, representing roughly 97% of total national hydro capacity
- Plant-specific estimation methods using reservoir releases, nearby stream gauges, and modeled inflows
- Improved spill modeling, distinguishing between water that generates power and water that bypasses turbines
- Enhanced accuracy in seasonal generation patterns, especially for grid planning and drought impact studies
A Tool for Research and Reliability Planning
Hydropower plays a key role in stabilizing the electric grid, but its output can shift dramatically with seasonal flows and drought. RectifHyd Plus gives researchers the month-by-month data needed to capture these fluctuations in grid models—improving efforts to evaluate and support grid resilience, plan infrastructure investments, and understand the broader impacts of hydropower variability on cost and emissions.
Although RectifHyd Plus is newly refined, its predecessor has already been used in more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies. By offering clearer insights into historical generation patterns, the dataset supports more accurate modeling and long-term planning across the energy sector.
Explore the RectifHyd Plus Dataset Here
Read the RectifHyd Plus Journal Publication Here