- Hydropower stands as the most significant renewable energy source. It uses the single but very powerful energy force of moving water. By some comparison, it competes with the energy produced by fossil fuels and nuclear power, but is considered much cleaner and more simplistic. Hydropower remains popular even in third-world countries, which do not have the resources to build expensive nuclear generating stations. Hydropower does not pollute the atmosphere or environment. Hydropower produces about 9 percent of the electrical energy in the United States.
- Hydropower uses the natural forces of the Earth's water cycle because water that moves downstream fast or falls a great distance due to gravity creates a huge energy force. The speed and mass of water as it flows with significant momentum is defined as kinetic energy. The kinetic energy becomes transformed when it acts upon machinery to produce mechanical energy. Large conduit pipes used at hydroelectric generating stations have special tapered designs to direct and produce extremely high water pressures without the use of pumps or any other mechanical means -- simple physics runs hand in hand with hydropower.
- Some of the most beautiful lakes and reservoirs have been created as a direct result of the production of numerous hydropower installations. Thousands of acre-feet of water, created by dams, have contributed to excellent fishing, boating, swimming and camping resources for the enjoyment of the public. Many of the most famous and oldest dams attract thousands of visitors and generate extra and welcome tourist revenue.
- Hydropower lakes and reservoirs are unique and exceptional breeding grounds for fishes, amphibians and waterfowl that might have never been introduced into the area had it not been for the creation of such projects.
- Hydropower installations create jobs associated with preservation, nature and conservation. Many hydropower installations have been turned into national and state parks, with some established as natural historical monuments.
- Hydropower has no limitations as far as construction, as it needs only falling or rushing water to produce electricity. In the long run, hydroelectric power is the least expensive renewable energy produced in the United States.
- Hydropower really took off in popularity around the late 19th century, when the first power plant was installed at Niagara Falls in 1879. After 1881 the city of Niagara Falls had its first street lamps powered by the energy source, which was a small experimental station. The United States had its first official hydroelectric power plant in full operation 1882 in Appleton, Wisconsin.
- The five largest producers of hydropower as of 2004 were the United States, Brazil, China, Canada and Russia. China's Three Gorges dam on the Yangtze River holds the record for being the largest electrical power generating station in the world. Many countries are now exploiting the possibility of installing economical but powerful hydropower installations to complement their energy-producing potential.
previous post