wmpy-power: A Python package for process-based regional hydropower simulation

Abstract

Hydropower is an important source of renewable energy in many parts of the world. The generation potential for a hydropower facility can vary greatly due to fluctuations in precipitation and snowmelt patterns impacting streamflow and reservoir storage. Human activities such as irrigation, manufacturing, and hydration can also influence water availability at nearby and downstream facilities. wmpy-power, the hydropower model described in this work, is process-based, leveraging explicit reservoir storage and release data to address impacts on hydropower from climate change and human adaptive behaviors to inform long-term planning and resource-adequacy considerations.