Ways to Use Hydropower
Hydropower is a way of producing energy from moving water. "Hydro" literally means water. The use of hydropower accounts for approximately six percent of the electricity produced in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Hydropower also accounts for most of the renewable energy generated within the country. This type of power is produced and used in different ways.
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Power Plants
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Most of the hydropower plants are in the western United States. States such as California, Oregon and Portland have most of their renewable energy sources produced by hydropower plants. These plants supply electricity to millions of homes and businesses. Electricity production is the most common way hydropower is used. Producing electricity through hydropower is determined by the water cycle. Water, from the surface of the Earth, evaporates and condenses into clouds that produce rain and snow. The rain and snow flow through the rivers producing moving water, which is required to produce hydropower.
Mechanical
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The amount of hydropower produced is determined by how fast the water is moving. For example, the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington State has fast moving rapids, which generates a lot of energy. More Hydropower energy comes from falling water, like the water falling from Niagara Falls. The amount of moving water can turn mechanical devices, such as turbine generators or other mechanical components, if harnessed properly. Throughout history, hydropower was used to turn grinding mills to produce flour and other grain products. The water flows onto a water wheel that turns a big mill stone, which crushed the wheat into powder. Using hydropower to move mechanical parts dates back to the ancient Greeks.
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Tidal Power
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Tidal power is another form of hydropower used to produce energy from the movement of ocean waves. The tides are more predictable than other renewable energies, like solar or wind. The gravitational pull of the moon and sun, as well as the Earth's rotation, cause tides to move in and out of the shore by as much as 40 feet. Harnessing these tides around the world is used to produce electricity for nearby homes and ocean buoys that power safety lighting informing ships of the nearby shorelines. Currently only France and Canada have tidal power plants producing energy.
Wave Power
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The wind that blows across the ocean's surface produces waves that function as another form of hydropower in use. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, hydropower produced from waves can account for more than 252 billion kilowatt hours of energy. This translates into approximately six percent of the power used within the United States. Most of the wave power produced is used by off-shore oil and exploration rigs. At the time of publication, other than off-shore rigs, the only other wave harnessing power plant is in Portugal.
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References
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