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How has the use of water power changed over time?

The then and now guide to water power

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Hydroelectric power is the electricity that is generated from the kinetic energy of moving water.

What is hydroelectric power?

The power of flowing water has been used for hundreds of years to operate machinery, such as that used to grind corn in mills and factories. However, this was largely replaced by steam power in the Industrial Revolution.

Today, hydroelectric power is generated from water flowing in rivers or in man-made installations, where it flows from a high-level reservoir down through a tunnel. Currently, about 10% of Australia’s electricity is from hydroelectric power.

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How is hydroelectricity produced?

Major hydroelectric schemes involve building a dam across the end of a river valley to form a reservoir. This can be done high up in mountainous areas.

1,042 megawatts.

Hydroelectric power stations are a very reliable source of electricity and are able to start up production quickly.

This is the Glen Canyon dam in Arizona, USA. It has eight generating units, which have an electrical output of up to

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How does a hydroelectric dam work?

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Large-scale hydroelectric power stations must be sited in high, mountainous areas.

Hydroelectric power schemes also cost a lot of money and take a long time to build. However, they do last a long time and are a reliable source of large amounts of electricity.

How is hydroelectricity used effectively?

Damming a river causes the river valley to flood, which can mean that local villages and houses are destroyed.

The number of environmentally acceptable sites is limited but several small-scale hydroelectric schemes to use the power of our streams and rivers are also in development.

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Pros and cons of hydroelectric power

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Reporting of hydroelectric power

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