Green electricity from Alpine hydropower plants

Hydropower is a renewable source of energy of which ecological benefits inc lude very low average greenhouse gas emissions. As a result of dams, howeve r, more than 20% of all freshwater fish species are now considered threaten ed or endangered, Such negative ecological impacts are a focus of broad pub lic concern in Alpine regions where hydropower production is most intense. The liberalization of electricity markets now provides an economic rational e for selling hydropower as green energy. This offers an opportunity to imp rove the ecological performance of hydropower plants. The lessons learned f rom this large-scale economic and ecological experiment in the industrializ ed world might be important in other mountain regions where hydropower prod uction is being developed or needs ecological upgrading As a step in this d irection, the present paper gives an overview of recent developments in Eur ope concerned with the ecolabeling of hydropower. Different initiatives for green hydropower in liberalized electricity markets are discussed, followe d by analysis of the shortcomings of simplistic ecolabels. Finally, a new m ethod for ecological assessment of green hydropower plants is outlined. Thi s is currently being implemented in Switzerland along with ecolabeling.