Without building a single new dam, the Department of Energy says in a new report that equipping existing dams to produce power could provide an electrical generating capacity of more than 12 GW, which is equivalent to roughly 15 percent of current U.S. hydropower capacity.

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Also interesting is that the DOE's assessment found that many potential hydropower sites are located in areas of the country with fewer wind or solar resources, giving nearby communities access to renewable energy.

According to the DOE, the findings demonstrate one of the ways the U.S. can diversify its energy portfolio while achieving the Obama Administration's goal of generating 80 percent of the country's electricity from clean resources by 2035.

As Energy Secretary Stephen Chu noted, together with new advances and innovations in hydropower technologies, the resource assessment "can help use our existing infrastructure to further develop the country’s significant waterway resources."

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