About This Course

This online, self-paced course focuses on one of the most important drivers of hydropower asset performance: financial planning and budgeting. It provides a practical overview of how operating and capital budgets support reliability, performance, and long-term asset value. Participants will learn how leading operators plan and manage OPEX and CAPEX, develop business cases, and make informed financial decisions that reduce costs and support efficient operations. ⏱ Estimated completion time: approximately 1 hours.

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome Message

    2. Introduction and Agenda

    3. Operating Costs (OPEX and CAPEX)

    4. CAPEX Planning

    5. CAPEX Business Case and Project Execution

    6. Annual Operating Plan

    7. Repair Vs. Replace Decision

    8. Final Remarks

    9. Knowledge Test

    10. Survey: Please provide your review of this module

About this course

  • $500.00
  • 10 lessons
  • 0.5 hours of video content

Key Outcomes of This Course

Participants completing this module will gain foundational understanding of:

  • Financial planning fundamentals

    Understand how OPEX and CAPEX budgets support hydropower operations, reliability, and asset performance.

  • CAPEX planning and business cases

    Learn how to develop capital plans and prepare business cases that support effective investment decisions.

  • Financial decision-making in O&M

    Understand how budgeting supports repair-versus-replace decisions, cost control, and long-term asset value.

Why Hydropower O&M Matters

Hydropower plays a critical role in modern electricity systems by providing reliable renewable energy and supporting grid stability. Effective operations and maintenance practices are essential to ensure these assets continue delivering safe, efficient, and dependable performance over decades of operation.

  • Hydropower plants provide dependable renewable electricity and support grid stability through services such as frequency regulation, spinning reserve, and black start capability.

  • Poor operations and maintenance practices can lead to equipment failures, safety incidents, environmental impacts, and costly operational disruptions.

  • Hydropower facilities often operate for 50–100 years or more, requiring disciplined operations and maintenance practices to sustain long-term reliability and efficiency.

  • Operators must comply with environmental regulations, dam safety requirements, and operating licenses to maintain regulatory compliance and public trust.