Hydropower

Fast Facts about Hydropower

• Hydropower is America's leading source of renewable energy.
• Hydropower accounts for more than 90% of all electricity that comes from renewable resources in the U.S., including, solar, geothermal, wind, and biomass.
• Hydropower accounts for about 10 percent of the nation's supply of electricity.
• Hydropower provides 61% of the generating capacity in the Northwest.
• Washington PUDs get nearly 82% of their electricity from hydropower.
• Worldwide, hydropower accounts for about 20% of all electric generation.
• Hydropower is carbon-free and climate-friendly. It does not produce air pollution or create any toxic by-products. Per capita carbon emissions in the Northwest are about half what they are in other regions of the country, largely due to the abundance of hydropower.
• Hydropower is low-cost compared to other forms of renewable energy.
• Hydropower is generated at only 3% of the nation's 80,000 dams.
• Like wind, solar, and geothermal, hydropower's "fuel" is essentially infinite and is not depleted during the production of electricity. Hydropower facilities simply harness the natural energy of flowing and falling water to generate electricity.
• Because hydropower is produced domestically, it helps insulate the United States from fluctuating and sometimes dangerous world market and political conditions.
• Hydropower turbines are capable of converting more than 90% of available energy into electricity, which is more efficient than any other form of generation. The best fossil-fuel power plant is only about 50% efficient.
• Hydroelectricity provides an important means of regulating the flow of electricity to homes and businesses. Unlike other sources of renewable energy, hydropower projects can quickly increase or decrease the amount of electricity being generated. Since the electricity grid must be kept in balance with demand, this "peaking" ability is very important.
• Hydropower projects do more than just produce electricity; they create wildlife conservation lands, provide stable habitat for many kinds of wildlife, support healthy fisheries, provide water supply, control floods, irrigate land for food production, and create recreational opportunities for millions of Americans.