Hydropower’s growing knowledge gap is a problem that isn’t discussed enough. While some energy sectors utilize structured training pipelines from day one, hydro has long relied on decades of institutional memory passed down informally, engineer to engineer, plant manager to new hire. With such a fragile process, the risk of losing knowledge is real, but there are solutions.

Forged out of the desire to ensure the industry has access to top tier training materials while helping close the knowledge gap, National Hydropower Association’s (NHA) Hydro Academy built the Hydro System Principles Training (HSP). Drawing on the expertise of 50+ hydropower professionals, the HSP offerings consist of a Course and Overview, which provide two different ways for learners to engage with the material – be it virtually or in-person.

With HSP having served employees from over 100+ companies, the program continues to support the industry, welcoming everyone in hydro from seasoned engineers to plant managers.

A FASTER WAY TO LEARN THE INDUSTRY

HSP is designed to accelerate the process. Instead of picking up the pieces over years on the job, learners get eight modules that cover topics from engineering and technology, dam safety to asset management taught by industry experts who have done the work.

After completing HSP training, NHA followed up with participants to learn more, and what we’ve gleaned describes a consistent experiences for newcomers. One early-career participant, less than a year into the industry, called the course “a very valuable experience [that] suited for someone really at any point in their career,” adding it was “very insightful and informative.”

Another described an impactful takeaway: “I always find value learning about the general components of the projects helpful as someone new to the industry.” A third put it more simply after their first module: “This is all new to me, so I found it all interesting.”

Across surveys spanning from the first session in October 2024 through the most recent one in August 2026, the pattern repeats: people who walked in with little to no hydropower background are walking out able to hold their own in a room full of experienced engineers, regulators, and hydro veterans.

OPEN TO ANYONE

As of June 2026, 365 individuals from roughly 100 different organizations have gone through HSP, either the 40-hour course or the 8-hour overview. This engagement demonstrates not just an interest in the material, but a desire to connect and grow alongside others navigating their hydropower journey.

For someone early in their career, the payoff isn’t just what you learn. Every participant walks away with Professional Development Hours (8 for the overview, and 40 for the full course), and course graduates earn a NHA System Principles Certification, a credential that signals to employers that you understand the hydropower system.

Why does that matter? A first-year hire who can speak fluently about markets, licensing, and dam safety is a first-year hire who ramps up faster, asks sharper questions, and looks like a stronger long-term bet to the people deciding their next promotion.

WORD GETS AROUND

Maybe the strongest signal of HSP’s value is what happens after people finish with the program like one January 2025 graduate, who wrote: “Thank you for all the hard work and coordination! I will be sharing my experience with my colleagues!”

Another, who finished the December 2025 overview, put it just as plainly: “I will be passing this course onto other employees.”

A third found the instructor so engaging that they “took down his information and shared it with my team as a reference for future training needs.”

READY TO START?

Whether you are a few months into your first hydropower role or building the talent pipeline for the replacements of a retiring workforce, HSP was designed to meet you where you’re at.

The next full course cohort starts November 19, 2026.

Learn more and register HERE.