Hydropower
Benifits to the Environment
Hydropower is considered a sustainable renewable energy source that helps reduce carbon emissions. Hydropower dams help with flood control, irrigation support, and water supply.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
They have a long lifetime (50-100 years). It can be used to meet peak electricity demand in some cases. Can provide irrigation for crops.
Cons:
Hydropower energy could have a negative effect on native plants and animals as it changes the characteristics of the body of water. It's expensive up front. controlled by the amount of water available
What is it?
One of the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy is hydropower. Hydropower uses the natural flow of moving water to generate electricity. Hoover Dam located in Nevada is an example of a hydropower facility. The oldest operating U.S. hydropower facility is the Whiting plant in Whiting, Wisconsin.
How is energy created?
The main components of a hydropower system include dams, turbines, and generators, all essential for electricity production. Hydropower works by water flowing through pipes turning blades in a turbine to produce electricity.
expenses
They cost between 2 to 4 cents per kilowatt an hour. They are inexpensive in the long run but theres a high cost up front.
popularity so far
Hydropower accounts for 27% of total U.S. utility-scale renewable electricity generation and 5.86% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. Roughly 1,450 conventional and 40 pumped-storage hydropower plants are operating in the United States. China and Brazil have the highest growth of hydropower generation.