In Ecuador’s Intag Valley, communities build their own micro-hydropower plant

Nineteen families from four communities in Ecuador's Intag Valley are building a 300-kilowatt run-of-river hydropower plant that captures the Aguagrún River's flow without a dam. The families own 90% of the project, with half its revenue directed into a conservation trust for cloud forest protection.

The plant is expected to earn about $120,000 a year selling power to the national grid, against $40,000 in annual operating costs — modest figures reflecting its small scale. Ecuador relies on hydropower for 78% of its electricity and has suffered blackouts up to 14 hours during recent droughts.

Construction relied on mingas, a traditional system of collective volunteer labor, with technical and funding support from two nonprofits holding 5% stakes each. The project is in its final testing phase, with completion expected by the end of 2026.

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