According to a recent report from Global Data, total hydropower capacity has increased from 695.8 GW in 2001 to 888.8 GW in 2009 – a CAGR of 3.1%. This dramatic increase resulted mainly from new Chinese installations, many of which came online in 2004.  Favorable government subsidies have also allowed the hydro sector to continue its growth.

Although fossil fuels are still the dominant source of energy production worldwide, over 60 nations now rely on hydropower to satisfy 50% or more of their domestic energy needs.

Global Data predicts installations of small hydro plants will grow to 201GW by 2020, and predicts smaller installations will be an important source of growth for the industry.

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In its latest Monthly Energy Review, the EIA says renewable energy production made up over 10% of total U.S. energy production in 2009, a 5.5% increase over 2008 levels and a nearly 16% increase from 2007 levels.

Biomass contributed the most, accounting for 51% of all renewable energy production, followed by hydropower at 34.2%.  Next in line were wind, geothermal and solar power, contributing 8.9%, 4.7% and 1.2% respectively.

At this stage, renewable energy contributes almost as much as nuclear power to the nation’s energy mix.

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The World Bank’s investments in many other sectors fell across the board, however hydropower projects drew attention because of the long-term potential of the technology- it is cost effective and carbon-free.

“The European hydropower market has traditionally been viewed as a mature market with few opportunities and five years ago, maybe that perception was not so far off.  However, with new opportunities for both new projects and refurbishment work are quickly undermining this perception,” remarked Jonathan Robinson, energy and power systems consultant for Frost & Sullivan.

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This work results from an 18-month combined effort with CEOs and experts, and dialogues with over 200 companies and external stakeholders in some 20 countries.

The report presents new opportunities for business in a broad range of business segments with the foresight to lead their societies on a sustainable business development agenda. Entitled Vision 2050: The new agenda for business, the report “lays out the challenges, pathway and options that business can use to create an opportunity-rich strategy, both regionally and globally, that will lead to a sustainable world,” said Dr. Mohammad A. Zaidi, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Alcoa, who led the project as one of four co-chairs.

“The world already has the knowledge, science, technologies, skills and financial resources needed to achieve Vision 2050. However, concerted global action in the next decade will be required to bring these capabilities and resources together, putting the world on the path to sustainability,” explained WBCSD President Bjorn Stigson.

The publication outlines a future in which 9 billion people live well, enjoying health, food, shelter, energy, mobility, education and other basics of life. Syngenta CEO, Michael Mack added that “humanity has largely had an exploitative relationship with our planet; we can, and should, aim to make this a symbiotic one.” In the Vision 2050scenario, global society attains this standard of living at a sustainable rate, without further harm to biodiversity, climate and ecosystem services.

The report states that the world already has the resources to achieve Vision 2050,but there is a catch: “The radical changes highlighted in Vision 2050 demand a different perspective from business leaders, requiring them to rethink how they operate to stay on-track for a sustainable future,” added Samuel A. DiPiazza Jr., former CEO and Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers. This includes a radical transformation of global markets, governance and infrastructure, and a re-thinking of our ideas of growth and progress.

Vision 2050 spells out the “must haves” – the things that must happen over the coming decade to make a sustainable planetary society possible. These include incorporating the costs of externalities, starting with carbon, ecosystem services and water, into the structure of the marketplace; doubling agricultural output without increasing the amount of land or water used; halting deforestation and increasing yields from planted forests: halving carbon emissions worldwide (based on 2005 levels) by 2050 through a shift to low-carbon energy systems and improved demand-side energy efficiency, and providing universal access to low-carbon mobility.

As part of this transformation, Vision 2050 calls for a new agenda for business: to work with government and society worldwide to transform markets and competition. “Sustainability will become a key driver for all our investment decisions,” added Idar Kreutzer, CEO of Storebrand and another project co-chair. New rules for markets will reframe environmental challenges as economic challenges, driving innovation and competition in the direction of sustainability and away from resource- and energy-intensive production. Rationalizing prices to include such externalities as climate and biodiversity impacts will make corporate environmental efficiency a true competitive advantage across all industries and regions.

Business will lead market change by doing what business does best: forming partnerships, creating efficiencies and competitive advantage, seizing opportunities and meeting customer needs. At the same time, a shift toward sustainability will trigger trillions of dollars in new investments in infrastructure, technology and human services, creating new opportunities for business to thrive and grow. A recent study commissioned for this project with PricewaterhouseCoopers and released today indicates that this investment could reach US$ 3-10 trillion per annum in 2050.

Vision 2050, with its best-case scenario for sustainability and pathways for reaching it, is a tool for thought leadership, a platform for beginning the dialogue that must take place to navigate the challenging years to come. “It is hoped that the Vision 2050 work will be used for many years to come. It is designed to be a platform for companies when deliberating strategies and for dialogue with governments and society about how to realize the sustainable future,” concluded Per Sandberg, Project Director for Vision 2050.

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• Vision 2050: The new agenda for business – full report ( 2.6 MB)
• Vision 2050: The new agenda for business – summary report ( 2.4 MB)

Brazil has long relied on its substantial hydropower resources, which currently supply over three-quarters of the nation’s energy.  However, with over 4,600 miles of windy coastline ripe for development, Brazil is looking to expand the role of wind energy in its national energy mix.  Brazil’s winds blow strongest during hte dry season, making wind power “very complimentary” to hydro, and an effective hedge against future instances of low rainfall.

To be held on December 14th, Brazil’s wind energy auction has already garnered preliminary bids from some of the world’s largest wind companies, including Energias de Portugal, Electricité de France, Iberdrola of Spain as well as several U.S. and Brazil- based companies.  The auction is expected to result in construction of 2GW of wind power and project investment of approx. $6 billion over the next two years.

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