- The video opens with the words "Energy 101: Hydroelectric Power." Video of an old water wheel.
People have been capturing the energy in moving water for thousands of years.
- Video of hydropower dams and rushing water transitions into turbines running.
And today, it’s still a powerful resource that generates clean, renewable, and affordable electricity.
- Video of a hydropower facility.
Hydropower technologies are one of the ways we can harness energy from moving water and convert it to electricity.
- Video of a Pumped Storage Hydropower facility.
Hydropower facilities use the elevation difference created by a dam or diversion structure. Water flows in one side and exits at a lower point, spinning a turbine, which runs a generator and produces electricity.
- Video of the interior and exterior of a hydropower facility.
America has been using hydropower to generate electricity for nearly 150 years.
- “6% Electricity From Hydropower” on screen with hydropower facility video behind.
And today, about 6% of all our electricity is generated from hydropower, it’s one of the largest sources of renewable power.
- Video of water rushing out of a hydropower facility.
So what makes hydropower renewable? It’s simple: water.
- Video of clouds, rain, and a reservoir. “The Water Cycle” on screen with reservoir behind.
Water evaporates into clouds and recycles back to Earth as precipitation. The water cycle is constantly recharging and can be used to produce electricity along the way.
- Three different hydropower facilities come onto screen.
There are several ways hydropower technologies can generate electricity. You may recognize dams like this one.
- Video of a conventional impoundment hydropower dams. “Impoundment” on screen with hydropower facility behind.
This technology is called an impoundment. The impoundment stores water in a reservoir.
- Quick shots of hydropower facility, turbine running, hydropower generator, electricity build out.
When the water is released, it flows through and spins a turbine, turning a generator that produces electricity.
- Video of diversion hydropower facilities. “Diversion” on screen with hydropower facilities behind.
Here’s another technology. This is a diversion.
It channels a portion of a river through a canal or pipe into a turbine and generator system.
What’s cool about this method is that it uses the natural flow of the river and usually doesn’t require a large dam.
- Video of a Pumped Storage Hydropower Facility. “Pumped Storage Hydropower” on screen with hydropower facility behind.
And have a look at this: this is called pumped storage hydropower. Basically it works like a huge battery.
- Video of pumped storage hydropower animation showing the movement of water from reservoirs.
To charge the battery, water is pumped back up into a reservoir during periods of low energy use, often during the night when people are using fewer appliances.
Then, when people need more power during the day, the water can be released to produce electricity.
- Video of hydropower facilities and researchers working on new technologies and facilities.
With how long we’ve been capturing energy from water, you may think there’s nothing new hydropower technology.
Think again — the U.S. Department of Energy is helping to upgrade many older facilities. It is funding research and development that will help increase the efficiency of the turbines and generators, for example.
- Video of overhead view of a map of a river showcasing different hydropower facilities on river.
Operators of neighboring hydropower facilities are also working together to optimize energy production across whole river systems, instead of each dam working alone.
- Video of hydropower facility.
And we can add generators — or retrofit — dams that were built without power,
- Video of agricultural conduit.
like dams used to watering crops or preventing floods.
- “90,000 U.S. Dams” on screen with hydropower facility video behind.
Today, there are more than 90,000 dams in the U.S.,
- “Less Than 3% Are Powered” on screen with hydropower facility video behind.
but less than 3% of these dams produce power.
That means there’s an opportunity to generate more clean, renewable power at dams we’ve already built.
- Video of various fish passage technologies.
New technology is also making hydropower even more environmentally friendly.
For example, researchers are reducing adverse impacts on fish and their natural habitats. And fish ladders like these let them swim around dams.
- Video of various hydropower facilities.
Hydropower is an essential, reliable, and renewable source of clean energy with a rich history.
- Video of city skyline next to a running river.
And it’s meeting substantial energy demands today.
- Video of various hydropower facilities.
With new technologies, it will be even more efficient and have greater production capacity,
- Video of city skyline with sunsetting.
powering U.S. homes and businesses for centuries to come.
- The video closes with the words "Energy 101: Hydroelectric Power." “For more information visit eere.energy.gov”