Renewable Energy Sources - Part Two - Hydropower

by Darren

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Hydropower is a commonly used renewable energy source. In fact, hydropower is so common that 20% of the electricity in the world and 10% of the electricity in the United States comes from this source. Canada is the largest producer of hydropower in the world and the United States comes in second.

Hydropower is a renewable and sustainable energy source with strong advantages over alternatives:

1) There is no burning, drilling, or mining involved, so the technology is considered very clean for the environment.
2) Hydropower is not a source of greenhouse emissions, therefore the production of hydropower does not play a role in global warming.
3) Hydropower does not cause pollution because there’s no waste leftover from the production of electric.
4) Hydropower is extremely cheap, and is much less expensive and complicated to produce than alternative renewable energy sources.

Hydropower is stable and proven

Hydropower has a long history of stable and successful use. Hydropower plants in the United States and Canada have been in operation for decades, long ago paying off their initial investments.

Hydropower creates jobs

Hydropower plants tend to be great public works, and help the local economy with long lasting jobs, and major improvements in the surrounding countryside. The resevoirs around Hydropower plants tend to be flush with diverse wildlife, indicating the stabilizing effect the project has on the area.

The Hoover Dam is a perfect example of what a great Hydropower project is all about. Not only does it provide water for residents of Las Vegas and surrounding areas, but it helps stimulate the tourist trade in the region as well as providing year round jobs for plant officials and workers.

Hydopower is not without its’ critics, especially those concerned with the effect the power plants have on wildlife. Many fish and birds are killed by the giant turbines each year, so careful planning of the environmental impact of a hydropower plant needs to be done before construction. As the experience in operating hydropower plants continues to grow, fundamental issues of safety are always considered.

The hydropower plant of the future will be one that not only generates electricity, but actually improves the area in which it’s installed.

According to Mike Sale of ORNL’s Environmental Sciences Division, hydropower plants are our best bet for a renewable energy source we can institute on a widespread scale right now.

“The energy of flowing water is the most readily available, renewable, and clean domestic source of electricity that we have right now. It is available in most parts of the country that have high rainfall and mountainous areas. In terms of total production, hydropower is America’s leading renewable energy resource; it is more reliable and efficient and less expensive than geothermal, biomass, wind, and solar energy. Perhaps most important, it is a clean source of power–it produces no carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, or any other air emissions. In addition, it produces no solid or liquid wastes.

Hydropower is also one of the least expensive sources of electricity in the United States. For every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity produced by a hydropower plant, only 0.6 cents is needed to finance its operation and maintenance. By comparison, these costs at nuclear and coal plants are 2.2 cents/kWh and 2.1 cents/kWh, respectively. Our own region, the Tennessee Valley, has the benefit of low electrical rates primarily because a high percentage of its electricity comes from hydropower.
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Hydropower plants can be built in area with sufficient rainfall, meaning these plants could be built in many parts of the country right now. They are more environmentally friendly than coal burning plants, and less dangerous than nuclear. For electric needs, hydropower represents a decent option.

This article was continued from: Renewable Energy Sources - Part One - Biomass

Continue to Renewable Energy Sources - Part Three - Geothermal

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