The Pros And Cons Of Hydroelectric Power

The U.S for countless years has worked with engineers and researches to develop multiple sources of renewable energy. Some are considered to be more efficient and inexpensive than others; hydroelectric power being one of them. Hydroelectric power utilizes one of the largest natural resources in the world, water. Although it has a high percentage of efficiency it has its drawbacks. The drawbacks can be environmental, and technical, however, there are a larger number environmental factors that affect the efficiency of the source. Even though these drawbacks are present, hydroelectric power remains to be extensively utilized and there are many prospects for its future. Hydroelectric energy sources have been used in the U.S since the 1880’s. Congress commissioned the first private system in 1884. The main design factor behind hydroelectric power is a manmade waterfall dam. This often required a …show more content…
There are three main reasons for the efficiency of hydroelectric power, as it is a major source of noncarbon renewable energy. Firstly, it is clean, meaning it does not cause air pollution. Second it is reliable and inexpensive and finally it allows the U.S to limit or decrease the dependency that they have developed on other hydrocarbon sources of energy. The plant itself is expensive to build, but, in the end, they pay for themselves as they are known to last a long time. There is also no need for us to rely on international sources, but rather take advantage of the domestic sources that we have to construct our own sources of energy. Hydroelectric energy sources are also beneficial as they are significantly less expensive than some other options. Coal is an alternative however, it is not a renewable source as it is a finite source and diminishes every time it is burned for any purpose, although most often it is used to convert to