1. Small-Scale Hydroelectric Energy Lawan A. F. Alade-Fa APES 2016

2. What is It? “Small-Scale Hydroelectric” energy, sometimes referred to as “Hydropower”, is an alternative energy resource to the ones commonly used today(i.e. coal petroleum, natural gas). As the name suggests, hydroelectricity is electrical energy generated using water.

3. How it Works Hydroelectric energy is generated by guiding the movement of water systems, such as rivers and streams, through turbines built into power plants commonly found on dams.

4. How it Works (continued) Simple System The energy generated from the turbines is then sent through transformers which are connected to high energy cables that serve as busses for the dispersion of fresh hydroelectricity ★ Water used is safely redeposited back into its source which reduces the energy alternative’s impact on the environment

5. Prevalence 2.4% of the energy consumed in the United States comes in the form of hydroelectric energy Hydropower also represents about 16% of total electricity production globally according to the IEA(International Energy Agency) Washington, California, New York, Oregon and Alabama Generate the most hydroelectric energy!

6. Follow the Leader Three Gorges Dam China currently stands as the world’s largest generator of hydroelectric energy 22% of China’s electricity power comes from hydroelectric energy China’s Three Gorges Dam in the Yangtze River generated nearly 99TWh in 2014(more than the total amount of energy the Netherlands produced in 2013!) It must be noted that even though it is efficient, it was made with little consideration of the environment and has caused serious damage to the local ecosystem.

7. Benefits & Advantages Fuel is not burned in energy production so CO 2 output is significantly lower than other natural resources such as coal Renewable due to the replenishing rainfall which refill reservoirs(fuel source) Aids in reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as methane and nitrous-oxide EnvironmentalEconomic There are no costs for fuel, so the expenses of the alternative energy are virtually inflation proof By taking on the some of the consumption of electricity, more of other resources can be sold as exports and bring in money Can create recreational opportunities that can produce more jobs(i.e. lake camps, fishing lessons, tourism, etc.)

8. THe Beauty of Hydroelectric Energy The Lower Granite Dam on the “Snake River” in Washington state

9. Problems & Disadvantages There are high investment and installation costs Requires a significant amount of human labor which can be costly for big projects Bigger projects are more costly to maintain over time EnvironmentalEconomic Dependent on regional hydrology(precipitation) Occasional inundation(flooding) of wildlife habitats Occasional loss or modifications of fish habitats and migration patterns Reservoirs can take up land used for home, agriculture, green space, etc.

10. The risk of Dam Failure Here is a picture of the Teton Dam on the “Teton River” in Idaho flood possibly caused by vertical internal cracks in the dams walls. This alone brought about the death of 11 people, 13,000 cattle, up to $2 billion in damages.

11. Impacts Hydroelectricity promotes guaranteed energy and price stability It provides a way for marginal communities to have electricity Legislation in favor of the preservation of aquatic ecosystems, such as Michigan’s “Fish Passage Act(1929)”, cause conflict between environmentalists and politicians The creation of Dams change water flow downstream, so countries that share water resources like rivers sometimes come into conflict over this Small-Scale Hydroelectric energy research has lead to the development of other forms of hydropower generation such as micro-hydroelectric systems in homes and wave-power by oceans

12. Some of the major skeptics to the adoption of small-scale hydroelectric energy as an alternative are: Environmentalist who fear the risks that building such structures pose on societies and the environment Other electricity production industries(i.e. coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc) who fear they will lose business if the practice is adopted on a larger scale. Roadblocks

13. Works Cited akela, P., Chilson, G., & Patric, W. (1985). Low-Head Hydropower for Local Use. Environment, 27(1), 31. Damaschke, N. (n.d.). Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydroelectricity, Hydroelectric Power, Alternative, Green Energy. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.tc.umn.edu/~dama0023/hydroelectric.html http://www.tc.umn.edu/~dama0023/hydroelectric.html Energy Information, U. A. (n.d.). U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.cfm?iso=CHN http://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.cfm?iso=CHN Energy Research, I. O. (n.d.). Hydroelectric - IER. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/hydroelectric/ http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/hydroelectric/ Energy, U. D. (n.d.). Microhydropower Systems. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://energy.gov/energysaver/microhydropower-systems http://energy.gov/energysaver/microhydropower-systems

14. Works Cited (continued) Sherman, J. (2004). Hydroelectric power (Water Power). Mankato, MN: Capstone Press. Survey, U. G. (2016, January 7). Advantages of Hydroelectric Power Production and Usage. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://water.usgs.gov/edu/hydroadvantages.html http://water.usgs.gov/edu/hydroadvantages.html Survey, U. G. (2016, January 7). Hydroelectric power water use. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://water.usgs.gov/edu/wuhy.htmlhttp://water.usgs.gov/edu/wuhy.html Small Hydro, I. (n.d.). Small Scale Hydropower. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://www.small-hydro.com/about/small-scale-hydrpower.aspx http://www.small-hydro.com/about/small-scale-hydrpower.aspx