Pros & Cons Of Hydroelectric Energy

Hydroelectric energy is the world's most generally used renewable energy source.

FREMONT, CA: While hydroelectric energy offers the world clean energy, there are some drawbacks. So, some of the advantages and disadvantages of Hydropower are as follows.

Advantages of Hydroelectric Energy

1. Renewable

Hydropower is renewable, which means it will never run out unless the water stops flowing. Therefore, hydro plants are built to last. In some cases, equipment built to last 25 years is still operational after double the time has passed.

2. Emission Free

The creation of hydroelectricity does not discharge emissions into the atmosphere. This is the biggest appeal of any renewable energy source.

3. Reliable

Hydropower is, by far, the most dependable renewable energy available in the world. Unlike when the sun or wind dies, water has a constant and steady flow 24/7.

4. Adaptable

Hydropower is so reliable that hydro plants can adjust the flow of water. This enables the plant to produce more energy when required or reduce the energy output when it is not needed. Again, this is something that no other renewable energy source can do.

5. Create Lakes

Lakes can be utilized for recreational purposes and help draw tourists. Look no further than Lake Mead. It was created due to the Hoover dam and brought in over 7.5 million visitors in 2018. This can provide nearby towns a huge boost economically.

6. Faster Developed Land

As hydro dams can only be built in specific locations, they can support develop the land for nearby towns and cities. This is since it takes a lot of equipment to construct a dam. To transport it, highways & roads must be built, which supports new paths for rural towns.

Drawbacks of Hydroelectric Energy

1. Impact on Fish

To build a hydro plant, a running water source must be dammed. This hinders fish from reaching their breeding ground, affecting any animal that relies on those fish for food.

As the water stops flowing, riverside habitats initiate to disappear. This can even delete animals from accessing water.

2. Limited Plant Locations

While Hydropower is renewable, there are narrow places in the world suitable for plant construction. Moreover, some of these places are not close to major cities that could completely benefit from the energy.

3. Higher Initial Costs

While no power plant is effortless to build, hydro plants require you to build a dam to stop running water. Consequently, they cost more than similarly sized fossil fuel plants.

Although, it will not be necessary to worry about purchasing fuel later. So it does even out over the long-term.

4. Carbon and Methane Emissions

While the actual electricity generation in the plant does not produce emissions, there are emissions from the reservoirs they create. Plants that are at the bottom of a reservoir start to decompose. And when plants die, they release large quantities of carbon and methane.

5. Susceptible to Droughts

While Hydropower is the most certain renewable energy available, it depends on the amount of water in any given location. Thus, a drought could significantly affect the performance of a hydro plant. And as climate change continues to heat our planet, this could become more common.

6. Flood Risk

When dams are built at higher elevations, they pose a serious risk to any town nearby below it. While these dams are built very strongly, there are still risks. The biggest dam failure in history is the Banqiao Dam failure. Due to excess rainfall from a typhoon, the dam collapsed. This resulted in the deaths of 171,000 people.

Hydro Is Still Growing

Hydro has been steadily growing as the world begins to ditch its reliance on fossil fuels for energy. However, it's worth noting that hydroelectric energy has many pros and cons.

However, it is undoubtedly better than any fossil fuel plant when you compare it to the threat of climate change. And with over 8,700 new hydro plants being planned in Europe, it is more important than ever to understand the negatives.