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U.S.DepartmentofEnergyEnergyEfficiencyandRenewableEnergy
WindandHydropowerTechnologiesProgram
AdvantagesandDisadvantagesofHydropower
Hydropoweroffersadvantagesoverother energysourcesbutfacesunique environmentalchallenges.
Advantages
Hydropowerisafueledbywater,soit'sa cleanfuelsource.Hydropowerdoesn't pollutetheairlikepowerplantsthatburn fossilfuels,suchascoalornaturalgas. Hydropowerisadomesticsourceof energy,producedintheUnitedStates. Hydropowerreliesonthewatercycle, whichisdrivenbythesun,thusit'sa renewablepowersource. Hydropowerisgenerallyavailableas neededengineerscancontroltheflowof waterthroughtheturbinestoproduce electricityondemand.
Disadvantages
Fishpopulationscanbeimpactediffishcannotmigrateupstreampastimpoundment damstospawninggroundsoriftheycannotmigratedownstreamtotheocean. Upstreamfishpassagecanbeaidedusingfishladdersorelevators,orbytrapping andhaulingthefishupstreambytruck.Downstreamfishpassageisaidedby divertingfishfromturbineintakesusingscreensorracksorevenunderwaterlights andsounds,andbymaintainingaminimumspillflowpasttheturbine. Hydropowercanimpactwaterqualityandflow.Hydropowerplantscancauselow dissolvedoxygenlevelsinthewater,aproblemthatisharmfultoriparian (riverbank)habitatsandisaddressedusingvariousaerationtechniques,which oxygenatethewater.Maintainingminimumflowsofwaterdownstreamofa hydropowerinstallationisalsocriticalforthesurvivalofriparianhabitats. Hydropowerplantscanbeimpactedbydrought.Whenwaterisnotavailable,the hydropowerplantscan'tproduceelectricity. Newhydropowerfacilitiesimpactthelocalenvironmentandmaycompetewithother usesfortheland.Thosealternativeusesmaybemorehighlyvaluedthanelectricity generation.Humans,flora,andfaunamaylosetheirnaturalhabitat.Localcultures
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/printable_versions/hydro_ad.html
8/14/2006
WindandHydropowerTechnologiesProgram:AdvantagesandDisadvantagesofHydropower
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http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/printable_versions/hydro_ad.html
8/14/2006