Accurate quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes is paramount for the hydropower industry as GHG emissions may be considered when evaluating hydropower’s status as a form of renewable energy. However, estimates of GHG emissions from all reservoirs (including hydropower) are highly uncertain, with global estimates varying over an order of magnitude (St. Louis et al. 2000, Deemer et al. 2016, Prairie et al. 2018). Characterizing uncertainty of methane (CH4) emissions from reservoirs has been identified by WPTO as an important first step in identifying and mitigating risk from high-emitting reservoirs. This project will utilize a coupled modeling-measurement approach to reduce uncertainty in GHG emission estimates, particularly CH4, both within individual hydropower reservoirs and across reservoirs in the U.S. Development and validation of novel, in-situ GHG measurement technologies combined with comprehensive, statistically based monitoring designs informed by GHG emission models will be critical components of this project.
