Hydro power plants,
mapped.
Hydro is the 3rd-largest tracked source in our catalog at 1.05 TW across 7,156 plants — 18% of all tracked installed capacity. China leads the world with 259 GW tracked, followed by United States of America and Brazil. The largest tracked hydro facility in our catalog is Three Gorges Dam (22,500 MW, China, opened 2003).
Largest hydro plants
Top tracked facilities by installed capacity in our public-data catalog.
Top countries for hydro
Frequently asked questions
How many hydro power plants are tracked in nrgmap?
Our public-data catalog tracks 7,156 hydro plants with a combined 1.05 TW of installed capacity — 18% of all tracked capacity. This is a large and representative subset drawn from sources including WRI, EIA, and OpenStreetMap; the true global total across all operators is higher.
What is the largest tracked hydro plant in the world?
The largest hydro plant in our catalog is Three Gorges Dam in China, with 22,500 MW of installed capacity (commissioned 2003). Open the nrgmap app to see it pinpointed on the world map alongside thousands of other hydro facilities.
Which country has the most hydro capacity?
China leads with 259 GW of tracked hydro capacity across 947 plants in our catalog. United States of America is second at 102 GW.
How old are hydro power plants in the dataset?
The tracked hydro plants in our catalog range from 1891 (the oldest recorded) to 2025 (the newest). This span reflects both legacy infrastructure still in operation and the latest additions to global hydro capacity.
How can I explore hydro plants on the map?
Open nrgmap at app.nrgmap.com and use the fuel filter to display only hydro plants. Each plant marker shows capacity and year on click. The world view shows every tracked hydro facility across 12 countries with data in our catalog.