Hydropower

Fast Facts

Hydroelectric power generated with dams provides water storage and reliable power to meet baseline and peak loads given adequate river flows.
Dams can provide flood control, water storage, and recreational opportunities during their 50, 100-year, or longer lifespan.
Africa has the largest undeveloped hydropower potential of all continents
Hydroelectric power can generate CO2 levels slightly higher than nuclear, the cleanest energy source, to much more CO2 than coal power plants, depending on their vegetation and stream flow patterns.

Background

Hydroelectric power, also called hydropower, is a form of renewable energy that uses the water stored in dams, as well as flowing in rivers, to create electricity in hydropower plants. The falling water rotates the blades of a turbine, which then spin a generator that converts the mechanical energy of the spinning turbine into electrical energy. Hydroelectric power is a significant component of electricity production worldwide.

Dams

Most hydroelectric power is generated with dams that provide water storage, which makes the power particularly useful for meeting baseline and peak demand variation (unlike unreliable renewable energy, wind, or solar). Hydroelectric power is, however, less reliable than nuclear, gas, and coal generated due to dependence on the hydrological cycle. The most visible example of this in the US is Hoover Dam located outside Las Vegas, Nevada, which has curtailed and may eventually stop producing power due to a multi-decade drought (and overconsumption).

Hydropower Distribution

Hydropower plants generate electricity in more than 150 countries, although most of the power is generated in 4 countries, China, Canada, Brazil, and the US..

While most of the best hydropower dam sites are already in use in North America, Africa has a large undeveloped potential that promises to dramatically increase the continent's electricity supply. Unfortunately, the World Bank has been pushing for funding of wind and solar projects instead of reliable hydropower or coal. Leaders of rich countries that have never dealt with unreliable power, due to fossil fuel use to guarantee 24/7 power, hypocritically push unreliable wind and solar power projects on poorer countries. African leaders, however, are too smart to fall for this scam, having already suffered from incredibly low levels of reliable power.

Environmental Impact

Hydropower dams can flood huge areas of land to create storage reservoirs, eliminating towns, cities, and nature areas. Dams also can also destroy fish runs, by preventing their return to spawning. Less well known than the loss of habitat and the effect on fish runs are climate impacts that can exceed the dirtiest coal power plant.

Africa has the world's highest potential for untapped hydropower, which includes large areas where vegetative growth patterns could increase emissions beyond equivalent fossil fuel electrical plants.

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