HYDROPOWER Marcus Bennett Ben Murray Abigail Roush

 System/Hydroelectric/How-Hydroelectric- Power-Works System/Hydroelectric/How-Hydroelectric- Power-Works  hydropower-works hydropower-works How It Works

Timeline

 Hydropower accounts for about 7% of our country’s energy production  Hydropower makes up about 52% of all renewable energy production  There is definitely room to improve those numbers, but building the support to make it happen has been challenging How Hydropower Meets Our Energy Needs

 Fuel is not burned, so there is minimal pollution  Water to run the power plant is provided free by nature  Hydropower plays a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions  Relatively low operations and maintenance costs  The technology is reliable and proven over time  It’s renewable – rainfall renews the water in the reservoir, so the ‘fuel’ is almost always there Advantages of Hydropower

 High investment costs  Dependent on precipitation  In some cases, inundation of land and wildlife habitat  In some cases, loss or modification of fish habitat  Fish entrainment or passage restriction  In some cases, changes in reservoir and stream water quality/flow  In some cases, displacement of local populations Disadvantages of Hydropower

 How hydropower affects aquatic species  Draught/flood risk  Global warming emissions Current Issues

 Not as efficient as possible because of disadvantages  The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013  The Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act Efficient Use and Current Policies

 Department of Energy’s “Hydropower Vision”  NHA’s plans for the next decade  Public Opinion Future of Hydropower

Questions?

 "A New Vision for United States Hydropower." A New Vision for United States Hydropower.  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Web. 19 Oct  "Environmental and Societal Concerns." How Hydroelectric Energy Works. Union of Concerned  Scientists. Web. 19 Oct  "FAQ | National Hydropower Association." National Hydropower Association FAQ Comments.  National Hydropower Association. Web. 18 Oct .  Gleick, Peter. "Dam It, Don't Dam It, Undam It: America's Hydropower Future." The Huffington  Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 6 Aug Web. 19 Oct  "History of Hydropower." History of Hydropower. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable  Energy. Web. 18 Oct  "How Hydropower Works." How Hydropower Works. Office of Energy Efficiency and  Renewable Energy. Web. 19 Oct  "Hydroelectric Power Water Use." Hydroelectric Power and Water, The USGS Water Science  School. U.S. Geological Survey, 7 Aug Web. 19 Oct  "U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis."  Hydropower Has a Long History in the United States. U.S Energy Information Administration. Web. 18 Oct  Zindler, Ethan, and Michel Di Capua. "Sustainable Energy in America 2014 Factbook." The  Business Council for Sustainable Energy. Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Web. 19 Oct References