Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Introduction / Per-Olov Johansson and Bengt Kriström -- 2. Environmental cost-benefit analysis and water quality management / Nick Hanley -- 3. Recreational benefits of removing dams and restoring free-flowing rivers : an example micro-meta-analysis of the contingent visitation benefits of removing dams / John Loomis -- 4. A blueprint for a cost-benefit analysis of a water use conflict-- hydroelectricity versus other uses / Per-Olov Johansson and Bengt Kriström -- 5. Estimation of WTP with point and self-selected interval responses / Bo Ranneby and Jun Yu -- 6. Energy in a bathtub : electricity trade between countries with different generation technologies / Finn R. Førsund -- 7. Renewable energy expansion and the value of balance regulation power / Finn R. Førsund and Lennart Hjalmarsson -- 8. The political economy of hydropower and fish in the Western US / John W. Duffield -- 9. Does behavioral economics have a role in cost-benefit analysis? / V. Kerry Smith and Eric M. Moore.

This important book sheds light on the ways in which modern tools of welfare economics can be used to assess the benefits and costs of resource conflicts involving hydropower. The chapters highlight key methodological issues in this area; ranging from the intersection between cost-benefit analysis and behavioral economics, to the value of load balancing services provided by hydropower. The inclusion of insights from expert contributors from both sides of the Atlantic brings a unique and interesting range of viewpoints to the work.