Hydropower is the world’s biggest source of renewable energy, generating about 16% of the global electricity supply. And it will continue to play a key role as the world looks to meet net-zero targets, not least of all because, like a battery, it can store massive amounts of energy for later and quickly release it in moments of peak demand.
But despite being better for the climate, it’s becoming increasingly clear that renewable energy sources can have a negative impact on the environment.
Siblings Gia and Abe Schneider are trying to change this. They founded the company Natel Energy in 2009 to make sure that hydropower is rolled out in the most sustainable way possible. The company created what they say is a fish-safe turbine, and their approach is to modernize existing hydropower plants with their turbines to allow fish to pass safely, while also building new, low-impact run-of-river projects that don’t require dams, which make them as minimally disruptive to river systems as possible.
Read more at TIME Magazine.