Hydro electricity

The Gordon Dam in Tasmania is a large hydro facility, with an installed capacity of 430 MW.

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Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy. Once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, the project produces no direct waste, and has a considerably lower output level of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) than fossil fuel powered energy plants. Worldwide, an installed capacity of 777 GWe supplied 2998 TWh of hydroelectricity in 2006.^[1] This was approximately 20% of the world's electricity, and accounted for about 88% of electricity from renewable sources

Hydropower has been used since ancient times to grind flour and perform other tasks. In the mid-1770s, French engineer Bernard Forest de Bélidor published Architecture Hydraulique which described vertical- and horizontal-axis hydraulic machines. By the late 19th century, the electrical generator was developed and could now be coupled with hydraulics. The growing demand for the Industrial Revolution would drive development as well. In 1878 the world's first hydroelectric power scheme was developed at Cragside in Northumberland, England by William George Armstrong. It was used to power a single light bulb in his art gallery. The old Schoelkopf Power Station No. 1 near Niagara Falls in the U.S. side began to produce electricity in 1881. The first Edison hydroelectric power plant, the Vulcan Street Plant, began operating September 30, 1882, in Appleton, Wisconsin, with an output of about 12.5 kilowatts. By 1886 there were 45 hydroelectric power plants in the U.S. and Canada. By 1889 there were 200 in the U.S. alone.

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Hydroelectricity is electricity that is made by the movement of water. It is usually made with dams that block a river or collect water that is pumped there. When the water is "let go" the huge pressure behind the dam forces the water down shafts that lead to a turbine, this causes the turbine to turn, and electricity is produced.

The energy of falling water has been used by humans for thousands of year

Advantages of hydroelectricity:

The way the electricity is produced does not harm the environment as much as fossil fuels like oil or coal. Hydroelectricity is immense and safe and produces no waste. Hydroelectricity can be made very quickly. This makes it useful for times when demand is high. Water that has been stored in a dam can be "let go" when needed, so the energy needed can be made quickly. Also hydroelectricity can not run out as long as there is a good water supply. Once the dam is built the electricity is free, no waste or pollution produced and electricity can be generated constantly also there is then a lot of extra energy to save and use.

Disadvantages of hydroelectricity

The building of large dams to hold the water can damage the environment. In 1983 Australian government stopped the Tasmanian state government from building a dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania after a huge public protest. The dam would have flooded the beautiful Franklin River. The Three Gorges Dam in China will be the world's largest hydroelectricity project. The dam has flooded a huge area, meaning that 1.2 million people have had to be moved. Scientists are concerned about many problems with the dam, such as pollution, silt, and the danger of the dam wall breaking.




Hydro-electricity uses the energy of running water to make electrical energy. Hydro-electric stations are built where there is running water.
Most hydro-electric stations are located in dams where water is stored. But hydro-electric stations can also be built on rivers and near waterfalls.
The flow of the water from the dam can be controlled by opening and closing gates or pipes to the dam. The dam wall also creates a high water level and this increases the pressure in the pipes which takes the water to the turbine
To make hydro-electric power, water from rain or melting snow is collected and stored in a lake or a dam. A large pipe carries the water from the dam or lake to the turbine. The pressure of the water pushes against the blades of the turbine and make it spin. The rotating turbine is connected to a generator which makes the electrical energy or electricity.
The electricity then travels through transformers and transmission lines to homes and factories.
Hydro-electricity is a renewable source of energy.
Hydro-electricity is clean power. It produces no waste, and doesn't produce any greenhouse gases.
The most famous hydro-electric power station in Australia is the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. Go here to read about it: 
Hydro comes from a Greek word meaning water.