Harnessing the Power of Hydro Electricity

When talking about alternate forms of energy that are less harsh on the environment, hydro power is something that doesn’t come up as often as other options, but is just as great. Hydro power uses the force and energy of moving water to produce energy that is easier for humans to use, such as electricity. In the past, hydro power has been used for things such as irrigation, powering machines, and running mills. All across the world, watermills have been used to power needed mills and machines.

Today, there are many different uses for hydro power. Hydro electricity contributes to nearly 20 percent of the world’s electricity. Most dams that are used today are not only to curb the possible devastation that a river may cause in an area, but also to harness the power of the water. The electricity generated by these dams is generally much less expensive to use than other, more readily available forms of electricity. Hydro power also contributes extremely little to no carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses, unlike the burning of fossil fuels. Therefore, hydro power is much safer to use, and contributes practically nothing to global warming.

Even if there are no large rivers near you, hydro energy can still be a viable option. For thousands of years, mankind has been using smaller rivers or even streams to harness power. Using small scale hydro power is something that should be considered if near a moving body of water. There is definitely room for more growth of hydro power in the United States. At this point, most of the hydro power that is developed in the United States is in the western half of the country. A huge 31 percent of all hydro power generated in America is done in the state of Washington.

When thinking of ways to help the environment, moving to renewable sources of energy, such as hydro power, is a huge step in the right direction. Not only is hydro power a renewable energy source, meaning it won’t run out, it has an extremely low carbon footprint.