Energy sustainability is gaining more and more relevance with the search for more efficient renewable energy sources. In this context, hydropower is one of the most studied and developed; however, the main operational factors related to how hydropower plants are conceived, financed, developed, and operated in their various denominations, have not been sufficiently addressed in a work that determines the state of the art of these factors and their influence. This paper analyzes the main operational factors of hydropower plants through a systematic literature review (SLR). Based on a conceptual map, and the formulation of five research questions, a semantic search script is structured in five levels; resulting in the consideration of 83 scientific articles, published in the last 6 years, that address the relationship between water storage and generation capacity, environmental impact assessment, technical-economic feasibility, simulation and automation models, and operation and maintenance schemes of hydroelectric power plants. The results of the systematic literature review can serve as a reference for future research in this field.