Hydropower development involves identifying sites for hydropower and exploiting available energy. Few nations are using all their hydroelectric resources, but there are concerns about environmental impact and cost. Hydropower is a renewable resource that generates no greenhouse gas emissions, but it is just one of many renewable energy solutions.
Hydropower development is a form of development that focuses on identifying sites that can be used for hydropower and exploiting its available energy. Nations around the world rely on hydroelectric power for some of their energy needs, and studies indicate that few, if any, nations are utilizing all of their hydroelectric resources. Like any form of development, hydropower development is not entirely problematic. There are a number of issues to consider when evaluating potential hydropower sites, from energy needs to concerns about fish populations.
Humans have harnessed the kinetic energy of water for thousands of years. Numerous human societies have developed a variety of creative ways to use water as energy. The water wheel is a classic example, with wheels being used to power saws and grain milling facilities long before the development of steam and electric power.
In the case of hydropower development, the goal is usually to generate electricity, classically by damming a waterway and using the water to turn turbines to produce electricity. However, hydropower development also includes facilities that use the ocean to generate wave power, hydropower projects without dams, and so on. Some of the most notable hydropower development projects in the world include: Three Gorges Dam in China, Aswan Dam in Egypt, Chapeton Dam in Argentina and Hoover Dam in the United States.
When starting hydropower development, one of the key issues to consider is whether or not a site can be used sustainably. A site with a sufficient supply of water is critical, as is a site that can be used without generating excessive negative environmental impacts. Dammed waterways can have a tremendous impact on the environment. While controlling seasonal flooding, dams also block the flow of nutrient-rich silt, make it difficult for fish populations to move upstream, and sometimes flood arable land, communities or sites of historic importance. All of these issues must be weighed when evaluating a site to determine whether or not the dam’s benefits are worth the costs.
The environmental complexity of hydropower development is one of the reasons why countries are not utilizing their full hydropower potential. Hydropower development is also very expensive, which can be a limiting factor and can sometimes encounter considerable opposition from local communities. While hydropower is a renewable resource that generates no greenhouse gas emissions, making it an attractive source of energy for environmentally conscious nations, it is clearly just one of many renewable energy solutions.
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