Hydro+Energy

Hydropower electricity is a type of energy that relies on the water cycle. Understanding the water cycle is important to understanding hydropower. This type of electricity generation is usually used for a river system. Once the water flows through a pipe, then it pushes and turns blades in a turbine to spin a generator and produces electricity. In a ** run-of-the-river system **, the force of the current applies the needed pressure, while in a ** storage system **, water is accumulated in reservoirs created by dams, then released as needed to generate electricity. Hydroelectricity comes from the potential of dammed water driving a turbine and generator. To make it simpler, try imagining the force of a waterfall turning the gears of a machine. The concept is the same.



An advantage of hydropower is that water covers 71% of the Earth's surface, so there is enough water to be used and reused in order to create energry.

Downstream water environments are often eroded by dams as well. Due to plant material decaying in an anaerobic environment, it causes production of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas. ||
 * **Pros** || **Cons** ||
 * **Economical:** Hydropower is renewable energy, and therefore there is an infinite amount. It also eliminates the cost of fuel. || **Economical:** Building a dam is costly. The Three Gorges Dam along the Yangtze River in China cost 30 billion USB to build. ||
 * **Environmental:** While there is pollution as a side-effect, it is only a fraction of what it would be if fossil fuels were used. Hydropower is a very clean energy; it does not directly create pollution. || **Environmental:** Dams often cause damage. For example, salmon in a river would not be able to travel upstream if a dam is blocking their way. While there are ‘fish ladders’ that allow fish to pass through, these are not very effective in some areas.
 * **Other:** Dams often help control flooding, which makes it more convenient for the people living there. They also create facilities for events such as water sports, and become tourist attractions themselves. || **Other:** When building a dam, the population in that area will have to be relocated. This is a difficult because inn many cases, no amount of compensation can replace ancestral and cultural attachments to places that have spiritual value to the displaced population. Additionally, historically and culturally important sites can be flooded and lost. A good example would be the Three Gorges Dam. ||