Reconstructing millennial-scale streamflow variability to assess near-future risks to water-generated renewable energy

Climate change represents an opportunity and a threat for Australia's renewable energy sector. Carbon trading mechanisms will make low-emissions energy more valuable. However, hotter, drier conditions will diminish water supplies and reduce hydroelectric capacity, Australia's primary renewable energy source. Understanding long-term variability and the influence of regional climate drivers on water supplies is constrained by the short record of streamflow data. Our project will extend the record of Tasmanian streamflow by 500-1000 years and allow us to conduct robust scenario-based modeling of the impacts of extreme drought and flooding events on Australia's hydroelectric capacity.