Introduction As new technology comes out seemingly everyday the demand of energy is growing. The challenge to find inexpensive, ethical and renewable energy sources has lead researchers and everyday people alike to come up with creative and sometimes ridiculous ideas. One technique that has brought much discussion and seems to have strong potential for success is hydroelectric power. Yet, like with all new ideas there are still many questions to be answered that come with the potential disadvantages. Dams have been used to manage rivers since the times of ancient civilizations, but it was not until the 1900’s that people began to use these dams as a natural resource to provide energy and power to towns and cities all over the world. Conclusions Hydroelectric Power can be used until it stops raining. Basically, it is our world’s most dependable source for energy. Towns and cities which use hydroelectric power as their main source of energy benefit greatly from the process. Their cheap process allows the citizens to pay half the national average cost for electricity. Hopefully, in the future, states can develop irrigation systems that carry water throughout the nations towns and cities, bringing Americans everywhere cheaper and more renewable electricity. There is a slight possibility that with time, the price of producing hydroelectric power may increase. Licensing a dam has become a long and pricey process. Many environmental impact studies must be undertaken. And some times as many as 13 state and federal agencies must be consulted. It takes anywhere from five to seven years just to get a license to build a dam. Hannah Bacon, Taylor Thomas, Carlene Kluge Literature cited jpghttp://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/ jpg pic intro How does it work Hy/Hydroelectric-Power.htmlhttp:// Hy/Hydroelectric-Power.html scale Hydroelectric Power Pros and Cons Like all new projects and experiments there are both pros and cons. Hydroelectric energy is no different. Pros Nothing is burned so there is minimal pollution Water is a renewable resource that is also free Can prevent floods Negatives: Because hydroelectric energy is depended on a strong water force where the plants are located is extremely important and can only be located near significant river flow, not necessarily were its specifically needed. Many species that live near the rivers and dams can be negatively affected by the building of water plants within their habitats The most important and initial step in producing Hydroelectric energy is the location of the power plant. This is key in order to have a successful plant. It needs to be located in a un-flat region near rivers or valleys, this will allow the dam to be created. Once the location is ideal, a reservoir is installed behind the dam and is where the water is stored. Next, after the control gates of the dam open, the water rushes into the plant and passes through the turbine which spins the generators. Finally, the electricity goes to the generator where it is transformed into usable energy. Background The Hoover Dam Pictured at the right was a huge project because they had to re-navigate many rivers to make lake Mead which supplies the water for the dam. Reading Memorial High School, Reading, Massachusetts, How does it work? As one of the most clean and unlimited natural resources, hydroelectric power has come a long way since the twentieth century. Many other energy sources, such as oil and coal can be harmful to the earth, while sources like solar and wind power are expensive to transform into energy. Today, in the twenty-first century, hydropower is responsible for producing 6% of the electricity in the United States and about 25% of the world’s electricity. America, Canada, and Brazil are the leading producers of water powered electricity. 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Hydropower used by the Greeks to turn water wheels for grinding wheat into flour, more than 2,000 years ago Niagara Falls, New York: Brush dynamo connected to turbine in Quigley's flour mill light’s city street lamps San Bernardino, California: High Grove Station first hydroelectric plant in the West 1889 Oregon City, Oregon: Willamette Falls Station: First AC hydroelectric plant 1893 Mill Creek, California: First American three phase hydroelectric plant Austin, Texas: First dam designed specifically for hydroelectric power across Colorado River 1910Federal Water Power Act 1922First dam designed specifically for peaking power 1940 Over 1,500 hydroelectric facilities produce about one-third of the Unites states’ electrical energy 1992 The top five hydroelectric generating countries are: Canada, America, Brazil, Russia, and China 1992 Energy Policy Act of 1992: An act to provide improved energy efficiency, included provisions to allow for greater competition in energy sales 2005Energy Policy Act: Public Law 2008Hydroelectric generation produces 6% of the US’s electricity As to how this generator works, the Corps of Engineers explains it this way: "A hydraulic turbine converts the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy. A hydroelectric generator converts this mechanical energy into electricity. The operation of a generator is based on the principles discovered by Faraday. He found that when a magnet is moved past a conductor, it causes electricity to flow. In a large generator, electromagnets are made by circulating direct current through loops of wire wound around stacks of magnetic steel laminations. These are called field poles, and are mounted on the perimeter of the rotor. The rotor is attached to the turbine shaft, and rotates at a fixed speed. When the rotor turns, it causes the field poles (the electromagnets) to move past the conductors mounted in the stator. This, in turn, causes electricity to flow and a voltage to develop at the generator output terminals." According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, world hydroelectric power plants have a combined capacity of 675,000 megawatts that produces over 2.3 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year In the United States, more than 2,000 hydropower plants make hydro- electric power the country's largest renewable energy source Hydroelectric energy makes up 25%of the world’s energy and 6% of the U.S.’s electricity Scale Cost Building a hydro-power system can cost from $1,000 – $20,000, depending on site electricity requirements and location. Maintenance fees are relatively small in comparison to other technologies. Operating costs about 0.6 cents per KWH (kilowatt hour) Average price for the consumer is around 4 cents per KWH