Abstract: Based on the hydropower related panel data of 20 provinces and cities in the Yangtze River, Pearl River and Yellow River basin, an evaluation index system of hydropower energy environmental efficiency was established. The super-efficiency SBM model was used to calculate the energy efficiency of hydropower from the perspectives of basin and province. The results showed that 2016 was the inflection point of the new increment of hydropower construction investment from up to down, the hydropower efficiency of the Yangtze River basin was the best, the Pearl River basin was the second, and the Yellow River basin was the worse. There were spatial and temporal differences among watersheds and the upper, middle and lower reaches of the same watershed, the hydropower energy potential in the southwest region and the upper reaches of the Yellow River was huge. Some suggestions were put forward to promote the efficient green development of hydropower in the whole basin of China.

Key words: carbon constraints, hydropower energy environmental efficiency, super-efficiency SBM model, three major watersheds