Hydropower

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Hydropower

• Electricity From Moving Water
• By Kelle Marburger
• And Gretchen Brown

http//www.odec.ca/projects/2007/truo7j2/hydropow
er-plant-usbr-hoover.jpg
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How does it work?

• The water cycle is tapped into
• Water is captured and turned into electricity
• Available energy is determined by the waters
  flow or fall
• Water with a high flow or fall pushes against and
  turns blades in a turbine
• The spin is connected to a generator
• Generator produces the electricity
• Run-of-the-river system
• Storage system

http//static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hydr
opower-plant-usrb-shaft.jpg
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http//www.buy-climate-smart.com/image-files/hydro
power-plant-parts.gif
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Negative Environmental Impacts

• Affects natural habitats
• Salmon in Columbia River
• Causes changes in the stream water quality
• Expensive/high investment costs
• Dependent on the amount of precipitation
• that has fallen
• Displaces local populations that are in the
• reservoir/stream

http//miamiherald.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b261
69e2010536fc4f48970c-320wi
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Main Goals

• Hydropowers main purpose is to generate
  electricity
• Was first used to eliminate coal as the primary
  source of electricity
• 7 of the total power of the nation
• is produced by hydroelectric plants

http//nuclearpowerissues.org/images/hydropower2_l
arge.jpg
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Ability to Make a Difference

• Hydropower is a clean, renewable source of energy
• It emits a low number of greenhouse gases
• After installation, operating does
• not cost very much money
• Makes energy available on demand
• since the flow of water can be
• controlled

http//ahoy.tk-jk.net/RiverImages/HydropowerLiujia
xiaGorge.jpg
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Technological/Political/Economic Obstacles

• It costs a ton of money to first create a
  hydropower plant
• People on the Mekong
• River

http//api.ning.com/files/2mfVijA5NiQ
tjSTY9rbKAoZkwK-jiGUB-fWv1-mXxL1taIsc0wK7ofL5aYx
74Dn5AGMRiricPCtlUl-5eYWyZ6LRAJqzCG/milliondollarb
ill.jpg
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Bibliography

• http//www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/re
  newable/water.html
• http//www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_basi
  cs.html
• http//www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/59.html
• http//sis388.blogspot.com/2009/04/hydropower-dams
  -on-mekong-river-april.html