Abstract
Hydropower as a renewable energy source is a serious future alternative to organic fuel power and environmental protection. Its use is least damaging to the environment in comparison to thermal and nuclear power. Hydropower is a constant generating source and a type of energy that yields most return. Based on this approach, the article assesses the hydropower development, reveals the reasons behind the hindrance of renewable energy source development, evaluates the tendencies and development prospects, draws the conclusions and presents the recommendations. This article reflects the concept of the latest findings of scientific research and practical interface. Planning, design, construction and operation of hydropower facilities, must be determined on how they may affect the natural state of water bodies, it is imperative to analyze and assess the environmental protection effectiveness. Natural water bodies should not be modified without an environmental impact assessment
Highlights
Hydropower is a developed technology of power production, which accounts for a significant portion of power production worldwide
Hydropower has great potential for development and is a significant renewable energy (RE) source, it is not being sufficiently developed in Lithuania, the attention it receives is not adequate and the research into it is not considered authoritative
The development of hydropower in Lithuania is hindered namely by the Government, the Seimas and local governments, which act under biased information that hydropower means “drowning Lithuania”, “eutrophication and silting up of water bodies” and “eradication of fish and the whole ecosystem”
Summary
Hydropower is one of the main RE sources in the world, which supplies stable, financially effective and rapidly renewable type of energy to consumers (Guidebook on Cooperatives, 2014). Major issues are related to environmental protection, which result in a smaller-scale development in Lithuania than in other EU countries These circumstances lead the author of the article to search for solutions to the above problems with a view of increasing electricity generation from hydropower energy production balance. In Lithuania, this proportion is considerably smaller, but the number of wind power stations may increase three times in Lithuania: around 1,200 MW installed inland and around 1,000 MW – in the exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea or the coastal area, where a scheme has been prepared and strategic evaluation of environmental effect of a water area scheme has been carried out (Law on Renewable Energy Sources (LRES) of the Republic of Lithuania, 2011). There is no separate office for coordination of this process in Lithuania; the mechanism of public management and its lack of adaptation to new technologies that require flexibility are worth criticism
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