Which method of generating power using water is generally used to help offset peak power times?

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Energy storage to meet peak demand is what pumped-storage hydroelectric plants are built to do. In a pumped-storage system, water is pumped from a lower reservoir to a higher one during off-peak times using inexpensive electricity. When demand rises, the water is released back down through turbines to generate electricity quickly. This makes it ideal for offsetting peak power because it can store large amounts of energy and deliver it when needed, providing rapid response and grid balancing.

Other options don’t serve this peak-shifting role as effectively: run-of-river generates power with little to no storage and can’t time-shift supply; tidal barrage relies on the predictable, non-adjustable tides; micro-hydroelectric plants are typically small-scale with limited storage and are not used to cover large peak demands.