Hydropower Energy: Renewable Energy

The ability to turn water into electricity has a long history. Worldwide use of hydro power is at 20 percent and 10 percent in the United States.

Hydropower works by harnessing water in different ways and converting it into electricity. In the United States, the most famous Hydropower plant is the Hoover Dam.

Flowing water is converted to energy by turbines and generators. Water energy today is one of the most used sources of power. This is changing quickly and will drop in the United States from 10 percent to six percent. No new hydro plants are expected to be built in the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

Nationwide the use of hydro electricity is declining. The design of turbines has not improved greatly over the past 100 years. The research on hydro plants is vast, and the promise of improvement may not be there. Yet, the government still has many departments created to further development of hydro power.

Still, in places where there is a lot of flowing water, or in remote areas that are harder to wire for electricity the use of water could still be an asset.

Hydro power is not like wind or solar energy. Individuals cannot harness water power technology. Hydropower plants are usually very large structures.

There are advantages to hydro-electric-power. Water is a clean source of energy, and does not pollute the air. Water is a renewable energy source. An important fact about water is that we can control its flow through turbines and energy can be produced whenever needed.

Dams and plants create water reservoirs. There are benefits that are created in addition to electricity. These reserves have become vital to states with lots of water. Fishing, swimming and boating are big in these areas. Many states rely on these areas for a percentage of their revenue from tourism.

There are legitimate disadvantages to hydro-electric power. The biggest problem is environmental. While the building of dams create many recreation opportunities, it has an adverse affect on wildlife in that area. Fish have difficulty swimming past these dams. Even with the use of newer technology, it is definitely not ideal for fish. Fish are a vital natural resource.

Hydropower can also impact riverbank(riparian) habitats. Whatever energy source we use, we must ensure that we keep the environmental impact to a minimum.

Hydropower Resources
• 21st Century Complete Guide to Hydropower, Hydroelectric Power, Dams, Turbine, Safety, Environmental Impact, Microhydropower, Impoundment, Pumped Storage, Diversion, Run-of-River (CD-ROM)
• The Micro-Hydro Pelton Turbine Manual: Design, Manufacture and Installation for Small-Scale Hydro-Power
• The Guide To Renewable Energy: How To Harness The Power And Help The Future!

Hydropower Articles

• Rivers and Oceans Create Electricity to Society
• Personal Hydro Kinetic Turbines
• Where Does Tidal Energy Originate?
• What Can Tidal Energy Do?
• Riding the Tide
• Is Hydropower to Replace Nuclear Power?
• Hydropower to Help Fish
• Hydropower Basics
• Florida's Wing Wave Energy Generator
• How Does Hydropower Work?
• The Basics of Wave Energy
• Osmotic Power: How It Could Work
• The Dynamics of Hydropower
• Bottom Wave Generators
• Tidal Energy- Riding the Waves to Clean Energy

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