This 2012 working paper assesses the cost dynamics of hydropower as a key renewable electricity technology, providing simple, transparent metrics to compare hydropower costs with other energy options. It highlights that hydropower has one of the lowest levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) among renewables, with large projects typically ranging roughly USD 0.02-0.19 per kWh and small hydro often between USD 0.02-0.10 per kWh, though very small systems can exceed this. Costs are highly site-specific, with capital expenditures for large plants generally lower per kW than for smaller schemes, and operation and maintenance costs relatively low over long lifetimes. Overall, the report underscores hydropower’s competitiveness and maturity in the 2012 global energy mix
