Hydropower

1. Hydropower By: Riley Gaskill, Timothy Moyer, and Tatiana Whitfield

2. What is Hydropower? Hydropower's energy source is normally applied to peak load demand , because it is readily stopped and started Use water to make electricity Hydroelectricity usually referring to hydroelectric dams, or run-of-the-river setups The water flowing down a river is used to spin the turbines inside the generator “Hydro” means “Water” in Greek

3. History of Hydropower • People used water power for more than 2,000 years • Ancient Egyptians used water wheels for grinding grain • Early Americans learned how to use them ( Water wheels ) for sawing wood • In the 1800s, scientists learned how to use a flowing river to spin the turbines of a generator • By the 1940s, nearly half of the electricity in the United States came from hydro power.

4. Ideas for Future • Hydroelectricity is a renewable, non-polluting energy • Water availability could shrink by as much as 34 percent by 2030, or it could rise by up to 11 percent • It doesn’t cause any greenhouse gas emissions or produce any toxic waste • It currently represents almost 20% of global electrical capacity and has development potential of 3 times its current level • While the investment required and the human and environment impact weigh heavily on large dam-building projects, the future seems promising for small hydro

5. Accessibility • Most of big hydroelectric power plants in the United States are in California, Oregon and Washington • People built dams to control the power of the big mountain rivers • Workers can change the amount of water flowing through the dam depending on the weather and how much electricity people need • The biggest Hydroelectric dam in the United States is the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington • Hydro energy is generated when the force of moving water spins the blades of a turbine to generate electricity

6. Advantages • Once a dam is constructed, electricity can be produced at a constant rate • Dams are designed to last many decades and so can contribute to the generation of electricity for many years/decades • The lake`s water can be used for irrigation purposes • Alliant Energy has two hydro power plants, including one in Kilbourn, Wisconsin, that`s been making electricity for more than 100 years • When in use, electricity produced by dam systems do not produce green house gases, they do not pollute the atmosphere

7. Disadvantages • Hydropower is not very common in the Midwest because most of there rivers are slow and small • The sum total of all external conditions affects the environment and all the living beings which exist in it • Similarly, hydropower is not the biggest source of energy on earth • If the environment is affected by some means then all the animals, plants, and human beings are also affected by the stimuli which occur in their behavior and survival • So anything that affects ecosystem is indeed harmful and needs to be eradicated

8. Location • Hydropower is the movement of water which creates power • So hydropower is found were there are steams • Hydropower creates power with lakes and rivers in motion • In the United States, most hydropower is produced at large facilities built by the Federal Government, such as the Grand Coulee Dam • Because the source of hydroelectricity power is water, hydroelectricity power plants must be located on a water source

9. Fun Facts • The Dam is built to retain the water • More electricity is produced if the water is more in the reservoir • Hydropower is renewable energy source that does not cause global warming • Canada is the largest producer of hydropower in the world • Hydropower is the least expensive renewable energy source in the United States

10. Resources • www.renewableenergy.com • www.alliantenergykids.com • www.myinterestingfacts.com • www.kids.esdb.bg.com • www.ecokids.ca • www.greenmountain.com • www.hydropicturesandfacts.com

12. Thank You For Your Time