Which countries produce the most hydroelectric power?

As the world attempts to stall climate change by cutting emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, energy from renewable sources has become an integral part of global strategies. But hydroelectric power, despite being an important energy source in many nations around the world, is often overlooked.

The 2012 data in the chart below is taken from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), which provides independent national and international energy statistics.

China produces the most electricity from hydroelectric power, some 856.4 billion kilowatt hours a year – more than double the amount produced by Brazil, in second place. The top three is completed by Canada, which produces 376.7 billion kilowatt hours a year.

Alongside the United States, in fourth, there are also places for Norway, Sweden, India, Venezuela and Japan, showing the geographical dispersion of hydroelectric power production.

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Author: Joe Myers is a Digital Content Producer at Formative Content. 

Image: A Chinese worker looks at water gushing from open sluice gates on the main dam of the Three Gorges project in Yichang, Hubei Province, June 11, 2003. REUTERS.