bighatnohorse wrote:
Is it still true that there is a lot of excess hydroelectric energy available after dark when everyone's asleep?
One could spin the answer to that both ways. (1)Yes, the hydroelectric generation is cut back at night and production could easily be increased. (2) No, if the hydroelectric generation was increased at night, that production would be taken from the daytime generation because the power production is limited by the available water. So there's no excess energy available.
In the Pacific Northwest, hydro capacity is currently trending down to protect endangered species. More and more water is going over the spillway instead of through the turbines, and some dams are being removed.
