Hydroelectric power is a form of renewable energy in which electricity is produced from generators driven by turbines that convert the potential energy of moving water into mechanical energy. Hydroelectric power plants usually are located in dams that impound rivers, though tidal action is used in some coastal areas.
The huge dams required for hydroelectric energy projects create reservoirs that flood entire valleys. Homes, communities, and towns may be relocated as dam construction begins. Egypt began construction of the Aswan Dam complex on
Hydropower, or hydroelectric power, is a renewable source of energy that generates power by using a dam or diversion structure to alter the natural flow of a river or other body of water.
How hydropower works. A typical hydroelectric plant is a system with three parts: a power plant where the electricity is produced, a dam that can be opened or closed to control water flow,
The theory is to build a dam on a large river that has a large drop in elevation (there are not many hydroelectric plants in Kansas or Florida). The dam stores lots of water behind it in the reservoir .
The Three Gorges Dam in China, which holds back the Yangtze River, is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, in terms of electricity production. The dam is 2,335 meters (7,660 feet) long and 185 meters (607 feet) tall, and has enough generators to produce 22,500 megawatts of power.
Most U.S. hydropower facilities have dams and storage reservoirs. Pumped-storage hydropower facilities are a type of hydroelectric storage system where water is pumped from a water source up to a storage reservoir at a higher elevation.
The bi-monthly International Journal on Hydropower & Dams features research papers, case studies, project updates, business and financial news, and policy papers aiming to help advance the state-of-the-art of dam engineering and hydropower development.
Hydropower technologies generate power by using the elevation difference, created by a dam or diversion structure, of water flowing in on one side and out, far below, on the other.
World Atlas of Hydropower & Dams 2023. Energy data from more than 180 countries and guide to companies and organizations active in hydro and dams.