Full Title: Introduction to Hydropower
Author(s): Connie Lausten
Publisher(s): ClearPath
Publication Date: July 10, 2020
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Harnessing water for beneficial uses has existed for centuries. Ancient Greeks and Romans used water in ways similar to industrial processes today – for grinding wheat, agriculture via aqueducts, and medicinal purposes. Modern hydropower or hydroelectric power has been utilized for over one hundred years and remains a clean, reliable electricity asset. As of 2019, hydropower generated roughly 6.6% of electricity for the United States (U.S.), while some states’ electricity mixes are dominated by hydropower. The Pacific Northwest relies heavily on hydropower, where the electricity mixes of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho have significant amounts of hydropower. While hydropower is generally thought of for electricity generation, only 2% of the 90,000 dams in the U.S. generate electricity