Hydroelectric

Missouri has two types of hydroelectric power plants: conventional hydroelectric power plants and pumped-storage plants.

Conventional hydropower is a renewable form of energy that uses the natural energy of moving water in rivers or the flow of water over a dam to spin turbines to generate electricity. There are six conventional hydroelectric plants in Missouri. 

Pumped-storage hydropower uses energy generated by other sources to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir during periods of low electricity demand. This water is then released when demands for electricity are the highest to generate electricity. Power is generated as the water flows through turbines located between the lower and upper reservoirs. There are three pumped-storage plants in Missouri.

Hydropower in Missouri

Hydropower is one of Missouri’s oldest renewable energy resources. Missouri's first hydroelectric plant, Ozark Beach, opened in 1913 on the White River. 

In 2023, hydroelectric power provided over 2% of Missouri’s in-state electricity generation, second only to wind as a renewable electricity source. Conventional hydroelectric plants had 550 megawatts of generating capacity in 2023, which provided about 15% of the state’s renewable net generation that year. Missouri’s pumped-storage hydroelectric plants had 660 megawatts of generating capacity in 2023.

Missouri Hydroelectric Power Plants

Below is a list of hydroelectric power plants located in Missouri as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration through Form EIA-860 data.