Hydroelectric Power

By: Celeste Forrette & Josh Lentry

Hydroelectricity uses the capture of power from the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It uses turbines connected to generatorssubmerged in streams to generate power.

SIGNIFICANT HISTORYHydropower was first used by the Greeks using water wheels for grinding wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago.One tragedy was cause by the Banquio dam, which failed in 1975, causing more casualties than any other dam failure in history.The Three Gorges Dam in China was fully completed October 30, 2008. It is the largest electricity generating plant in the world and second in production to the Itaipu Dam in Brazil & Paraguay.The United States currently has over 2000 hydroelectric power plants.

Pros & Cons

Pros & Cons

Hydroelectric power is clean, efficient, and renewable. It costs about 5.1 - 11.3 Cents/kW-h

Hydroelectric power is a costly investmentCan cause destruction to homes and habitat

because dams create large lake when created.Main regions that would benefit from

hydropower would be locations with water sources avaliable and an appropriate area to

have the reservoir that would be consequently created.

Statistics• Hydroelectricity currently supplies 19.9 percent

of the global electricity demand and is the only source of renewable energy making a substantial contribution.

• In the US hydroelectric power represents 6.8 percent

• Norway, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Paraguay and Brazil get over 85% of their electricity from hydropower

Sources

• Barron’s AP Environmental Science book

• Environmental Science textbook• Wikipedia• www.eia.doe.gov• www.energy.gov