&gt; Also, intermittent power can be a function of transmission network quality, not just generation type.<p>Yes, but hydro is the only renewable power source that is weather-independent. Wind, solar and tidal energy all fluctuate wildly during the day. In case there&#x27;s no backup&#x2F;storage (e.g. with pump-hydro systems, cheap-ish and effective, but a crime on nature!) you have to either import power from outside the country or resort to conventional power generation. Oh, and even hydro sucks for nature, because hydro plants interrupt natural pathways for fishes and like pump-hydro plants, there&#x27;s a HUGE additional negative impact if you use a dam (in contrast to natural state, animals can&#x27;t pass over the waterway, and as seen in China, important areas of biodiversity simply get flooded).<p>The lack of a truly environment-friendly energy storage is and will be keeping renewables from ever truly replacing fossil energy. Batteries need vast amounts of (rare) metals which have to be mined, refined and manufactured, molten-salt high power solar towers are a safety risk (as anything operating at three-digits-celsius temperature is)...