The Lule älv, a major river in Swedish Lapland, once supported a natural migration of Atlantic salmon. In the past, these fish would travel upstream to spawn in the river’s natural spawning grounds. However, today, no wild salmon can complete its life cycle in the river due to the presence of fifteen hydroelectric dams built since the 1950s. These dams were constructed to generate electricity, which was considered a clean energy source at the time. However, they have blocked the natural migration routes of salmon, leading to the extinction of wild salmon populations in the area. To maintain the presence of salmon in the river, millions of young salmon, known as smolts, are released annually from fish farms. These farmed fish are raised in controlled environments and then released into the river to replace the wild population that no longer exists. Despite efforts to install fish passes—structures designed to help fish navigate around dams—these have not been effective in allowing salmon to bypass the barriers. As a result, the salmon in the Lule älv now rely entirely on human intervention to survive. The situation in the Lule älv highlights the ecological costs of hydroelectric power. While hydroelectric energy is often considered renewable and environmentally friendly, it can have significant impacts on river ecosystems and aquatic biodiversity. In this case, the dams have made historical spawning grounds inaccessible, disrupting the natural life cycle of salmon and altering the river’s ecosystem. This issue is not unique to the Lule älv; similar problems have been observed in other European rivers that have been modified for energy production. The debate over the environmental impact of hydroelectric dams continues in Scandinavia. While the dams provide a source of renewable energy, their ecological consequences have raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of such projects. Swedish authorities have not chosen to dismantle the dams, instead opting for the continuous release of farmed salmon as a way to mitigate the ecological damage. This approach has resulted in a salmon population that is entirely dependent on human intervention, raising questions about the true cost of renewable energy in the region.