We don’t talk about hydropower much in the U.S. when we talk about renewable energy. Many states don’t even count it as renewable. But as a new International Energy Agency report highlights, around the world, hydropower is seen as a significant weapon in the battle against climate change.

Check it out: Since 2005, there’s been more new hydropower generation — around 600 terawatt-hours — than wind, bioenergy, solar and geothermal combined (which account for less than 550 terawatt-hours combined).

According to the IEA’s Technology Roadmap for Hydropower (PDF), global installed hydropower capacities have been growing in recent years at an average of 24.2 gigawatts per year. By the end of 2011, total capacity was at 1,067 gigawatts and the new capacity under construction will drive the figure up to 1,300 gigawatts by 2017.

via Hydro Grows Around The World, And IEA Wants More : Greentech Media.