Advantages and Disadvantages
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Advantages of hydropower are...
* a long-term renewable resource influenced by the Sun's energy
* Mother Nature provides water for free to run the power plant
* non-polluting
* flood control
* if a drought occurs, a dam will still have a water supply
* 90% efficient, whereas fossil fuels are 30-40%
* advanced technologies, which are adaptable to changes
* a form of storing energy for the purpose of other industrial, agricultural, recreational, and personal use
* reliable and quick in reacting to changes in public demand for fluctuations of electricity
* cost efficient with low operating and maintanence expenses with a projected lifespan of 50-70 years for large facilities
* able to develop third world nations into a more modern, advanced society
Disadvantages of hydropower are...
* damages caused by flooding above the dams
* migratory travel is restricted with the dam structure
* without a fish ladder, fish will not be able to spawn
* plant and animal habitats may be destroyed
* some water areas may dry up
* silt build-up in reservoir and river bottoms causing transportation hazards and ecological damages, and some essential minerals (fertilizers) do not get distributed below the dam
* marine transportation is limited unless locks are constructed
* only 3% of the nations 80,000 dams generates hydroelectric power
* high initial construction costs make investment decisions biased
* increased unemployment if no longer using large amounts of fossil fuels
* destroying archaelogical artifacts and antiquities
* costs associated with the relocation of cities and people because of the adjustment of water levels related to damming
The lack of information and the resistance to change makes it extremely difficult for individuals to accept and promote hydroelectric power!
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