Hydroelectric power is the world’s most widely used form of renewable energy. The power of water has been used for centuries and it was one of the earliest forms of electricity generation. There are a lot of benefits to using hydroelectric power which is why it is so widely used. In a world where the continued use of fossil fuels looks like it is going to be problematic. Unfortunately getting hydroelectric plants built is problematic because of the concerns of environmentalists. This is too bad since the benefits of hydroelectricity far outweigh the small amount of environmental damage that construction of the plant would do.

Hydroelectricity is simply the process of using water to spin a turbine in order to create a electricity. Any source of water can be used but in practice the majority of hydroelectric plants are built by damming a river. This creates a reservoir behind the dam that allows for a consistent flow of water. In a lot of ways hydroelectricity is similar to wind power in that it is using a force of nature to spin a turbine. The advantage is that unlike wind power the flow of water is consistent so that power can be generated around the clock.

The great advantage of hydroelectric power is that unlike other forms of renewable energy it can be produced at a cost that is competitive with fossil fuels. Once the facility is built the cost of actually producing the electricity is very low since the water is doing all the work. This is something that it shares with solar and wind power. A high cost of initial construction is something that they all share as well. The difference is that a hydroelectric dam can be amortized over a longer period since it is well known that they will last for decades. This brings the cost of producing electricity down to an acceptable level.

The other advantage of hydroelectricity is that there are no emissions. In an era where global warming is a serious problem this is a major benefit. Unfortunately despite the fact that hydroelectric power produces almost no pollution there is still a great deal of opposition to building power plants due to environmental concerns.

The problem that a lot of people have with hydroelectricity is the reservoir that is formed by the building of the dam. Obviously this is going to flood a large area and make it uninhabitable. The concern is that it destroys the habitat for the animals that live there. There is also the issue of how a dam affects the fish that live in the river. This is especially true of the salmon that need to travel up river to spawn. Although steps have been taken to mitigate these problems it is still very difficult to get permission to build a new hydroelectric plant. This is unfortunate because in a lot of ways hydroelectric power is the ideal solution to our energy problems.