Southeast Asian Nations Plan Major Hydropower Projects Along Mekong

Although China’s hydroelectric development — particularly the world’s largest power plant at Three Gorges Dam — has garnered significant attention, other Southeast Asian nations have relatively large hydropower expansion plans of their own, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says. Those smaller nations plan to construct 61 gigawatts of new capacity through 2020, primarily along the Mekong River and its tributaries. If all planned projects are completed, these countries will more than double their 2012 hydroelectric capacity. As of 2010, 71 Mekong hydroelectric dams were proposed for completion by 2030. Vietnam has the most ambitious hydroelectric development plan, with 205 hydroelectric projects — 6.2 gigawatts — slated for development by 2017 and nearly 4 gigawatts of additional capacity by 2030. Environmental groups have major concerns about the environmental impacts of damming the Mekong River system and other rivers in Southeast Asia.