Introduction Hydro Power is the energy that is taken from water and transformed into electricity. It’s produced from different bodies of water such as, lakes, rivers, and streams. Due to gravity, water naturally has a downward current. This current allows an increase in kinetic energy. In the process of transforming water into energy, water is sent through a turbine and converts the kinetic energy into mechanical energy. By continuing this process, the mechanical energy is transformed into electric energy. 6% of the electricity in the world was hydro by the year The most significant and widely-used reusable source of energy is hydropower. Who uses hydro energy? Different countries all over the world use this type of energy. The number one nation is Canada, followed by the United States, the former USSR, and Brazil. About 7% of entire power is hydropower usage in the U.S. Out of all electricity production, hydropower represents 19-24% of the power. Latin America, Central Africa, and India also contain unused hydro resources. In the last decade, Canada developed huge hydroelectric facilities that guide the world in the usage. Most of the states in the U.S. make use of this, however, ones with low typography reliefs, such as Florida, don’t produce as much. This Graph Represents the Countries that produce and use the most Hydro Electricity: What the Future Holds The United States has relied on hydro power as a main source of electricity for many years. However, over the century, the percentage of power generated by hydroelectric plants has decreased from nearly 50% in the early 1900’s to only about 10% today. This trend is due to a number of factors. First, the United States has already invested heavily in hydro power by building dams and reservoirs in many locations throughout this nation. The lack of available untapped large water supplies and the exorbitant cost to harness this energy is a main reason for the challenge to increase hydropower in this country. In the future, government and private sector hydro power development will need to focus on development of small-scale hydro plants. Rather than supply electricity to large states or regions, these small-scale plants will supply electricity for small areas or even single communities. Annie Gershinsky, Marlisa Larkin, Leah Marinakis Physics, Reading Memorial High School, Reading, MA Advantages of usage People have found that there are multiple reasons for the use of hydropower. It is the United States' major renewable supply. Because of rainfall, water almost always gets replaced in reservoirs to provide the fuel. Hydro-electric generation is a cheap and cost-effective method to convert energy into electricity. Since there is no fuel being burned, there is barely any pollution. This particular source of energy is known to be reliable and dependable over time. Free nature provides the flow of water to run the power plant. Maintenance and operation costs are fairly low. Disadvantages of Usage Even though there are plenty of advantages to the use of hydropower, there also a fair share of setbacks. This type of energy is dependent on the supply of precipitation, which cannot be premeditated or forced because of nature. There is a possibility of alteration of wildlife and fish habitats when dealing with this. Natural resources that are precious and restricted are needed during hydroelectric power generation. In order to receive coal, oil and gas, companies have to hollow out deep into the Earth’s surface, which is a tedious process. Lots of water and land are required to produce hydroelectric power. These things can change the natural flow of water, while harming plants and animals in the water. Dams are made in order to create hydro electricity and must be large to be efficient. Building a large dam is not only the costly part of producing hydro power but is also is hard to maintain. Hydro Power In the U.S., over 28 million citizens use Hydro Power. This is about 10% of the total electricity produced in the United States. Hydro power costs less than 1 cent per KWH to be produced and is free once it is produced. For the past ten years, $10 million has been spent on research of Hydro power. Throughout the U.s. there are roughly 200 Hydro Power Plants. This is a diagram showing how Hydro electricity is made. Above is one of the many hydropower dams, the beginning of process to make hydro power. Above shows a turbine that is made to change the kinetic energy into mechanical energy. This picture gives an inside view into what a hydro power plant is.