Does the UK need Norwegian hydropower?

Abstract

The UK has been generating energy from hydropower for more than a century; in fact Gilkes Ltd based in Kendal, England, has been manufacturing hydro turbines since 1853 - longer than any other company in the world. Currently almost 4,000GWh of electricity a year is coming from hydropower in the UK and the potential for another 2GW of capacity has been identified. With the right policy approach and investment it could be a major source of clean renewable energy, and by developing the sites already identified, the UK could generate more power than the 1,400MW that will come through from Norway. To put that another way, the cable from Norway will provide enough power for 750,000 homes and the sites we could develop here would power a million.