Smart Dams and Digital Twins in Hydropower
The hydropower sector is entering a digital era, as highlighted in Dentons' October 2025 paper, "Smart Dams and Digital Twins: Re-imagining Water Infrastructure in the Age of AI."
Smart dams are leveraging AI-driven reservoir management and predictive maintenance via digital twins to boost efficiency and resilience.
However, this shift also raises new legal, contractual, and cyber-risk questions for operators, developers, and lenders.
The hydropower industry is moving towards "smart dams" systems, combining conventional civil engineering with advanced data and control technologies, as assets age and operational pressures increase.
Smart Dams and Digital Twins: Re-imagining Water Infrastructure in the Age of AI
This digital transformation is expected to modernize the hydropower sector.
Author's summary: Hydropower enters digital era with smart dams.