Hydroelectricity

Objectives Why should we care? What is hydroelectricity? Why is it good? Why is it bad? Is it used today? What can we expect in the future?

The Problem Over 85% of U.S. energy comes from fossil fuels – a figure which is projected to remain constant through 2025 The U.S. is highly dependant on other countries for it’s energy needs The majority of sources for U.S. energy are non-renewable Oil production is expected to peak in 2037

What is Hydroelectricity?

Pros Its green! No noxious emissions No thermal waste Renewable energy Although initially costly, the lack of fuel costs makes it economically viable in the long run

Cons Requires lots of government funding. Restricted by location (there are not rivers and suitable water sources everywhere) Large projects draw criticism for disrupting the environment and society Floods areas that are not associated with the project

Current Applications Hydroelectricity makes up nearly two-thirds of energy produced in Canada. Canada is the world leader in hydroelectric production behind the U.S. and Brazil Country Production (GWh) Canada 353,000 U.S. 300,000 Brazil China 258,000 Russia 174,000 Norway 121,000 World Total 2, 740,000 Energy production in Canada

Future Implications Improvement of the technology itself very limited Locations very limited No foreseeable drastic increase in use Although it works, it is not feasible for a large-scale alternative fuel in the U.S.