How much does it cost to build a hydroelectric power plant?

Answer 1

What I've been able to find for the Hoover Dam says ~$50 million in the 1930's, today that's roughly $690 million. The entire Boulder Canyon Project cost around $165 million, which included the Hoover Dam.

The Hoover Dam has 17 hydro electric generators, capable of generating 2,074MW, which is quite large. The cost of a hydroelectric dam will be dependent on the river it crosses, the storage lake (how big does it need to be, is it man made, or already present, etc.), and how big it will be (how much electricity can it generate), and a host of other factors. I know of a 45MW (enough to power a small town, say 20,000 people) that cost $7.3 million in the 1930's.

Answer 2

Hydroelectric power plants have always been extremely expensive to build, compared to other types of generating stations. When I got out of the business (1987) low-head hydro in the US cost roughly $2.5 million per installed megawatt of generating capacity, not including the cost of creating and maintaining a reservoir (dam, etc.). Of course, that number has inflated considerably since then.

Mitigation of environmental impacts (real or otherwise) has been a growing component of hydropower's initial cost since the 1970s. Today, it can easily add 20% or more to the up-front cost.

The mere licensing of a hydropower project (through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) can cost millions of dollars, all spent before a single shovel hits the ground. State and local permits add even more. And often state and local government agencies add conditions to the licenses that literally make a proposed project not feasible, in which case all monies thus far invested are lost forever. Getting a hydropower project off the ground is a VERY risky business.

Once a hydro plant is built and operating, the biggest portion of its cost is generally debt service, that is paying back the people who invested in it in the first place. With hydroelectric power, the fuel cost is nonexistent. But the debt service is generally HUGE, often representing 80% or more of the cost of every kWh supplied to a customer. For this reason, hydropower projects are proportionately more sensitive to interest rates than most other types of electric generating projects.

Answer 3

usually if you find the right provider the average is 0.7 cents per kilo watt

Answer 4

about $12000 per monthe and 50000 per year.

Answer 5

About Rs.1000/KW

Answer 6

meagan locklear

Answer 7

Well over 13 mill.