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. Developing energy base that integrates hydropower, solar, wind, and pumped-storage in the Yellow River Basin can deliver synergistic benefits, including emissions reduction, water saving, ecosystem protection, and enhanced regional sustainability.