Balancing energy, water, and ecology through renewable energy transitions in the Yellow River Basin.

The transition to renewable energy for climate mitigation often involves trade-offs with regional priorities, owning to resource competition and potential ecological impacts. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic strategy. This study examines the potential of Hydropower-Photovoltaic-Wind-Pump renewable energy base (HPWP-base) in the Yellow River Basin in China-a region facing significant sustainability pressures, to balance energy, water, and ecology. Annually, the HPWP-base could replace 23.8% (249.4 tera watt hours) of coal-fired electricity generation. Such a basin-wide transition enables 28.0% reduction in energy-related emissions, 31.5% decline in electricity-sector water consumption, and 9.0% restoration of ecosystem carbon storage. These synergistic outcomes, attained through established technologies (pump and storage hydropower, basin-wide cooperation, and grid expansion), show the practicality of the HPWP-base. Therefore, it can serve as a solution to accelerate regional electricity transformation while advancing sustainable development, and enable policymakers to appreciate how to link renewable energy transition with multiple sustainable goals.