Hydropower Energy
Hydropower is the renewable energy contained in flowing water. Electricity generated using hydropower is known as hydroelectricity and is generally considered to be reliable.
Is Hydropower Reliable
Since we are continually being warned about the ever diminishing stocks of fossil fuels and the dangers of nuclear power, one might assume that hydroelectric power is a safe and convenient way of generating electricity, but like most things in life.
Pros
Hydropower is one of the most popular and widely used forms of renewable energy; it is also one of the most reliable and consistent and can be used to generate electricity for all types of industry
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Hydropower is completely harmless to the environment and no toxic waste products are emitted as part of the electricity generation process.
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The operation costs of a hydroelectric power plant are very low and the water can be recycled and re-used in a multitude of different ways: irrigation, agriculture, and domestic water supplies.
Pros and Cons
Cons
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For a hydroelectric power plant to be successful, it needs to be connected to a large enough reservoir of water, and in most cases natural reservoirs of sufficient size are few and far between, which means an artificial reservoir must be constructed—and this is a major engineering feat that can take a great deal of expertise and money to build.
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No matter how well a dam is constructed, there is always a risk factor that the dam might be breached by some force of nature. If this were to happen, the consequences of such a flood could be potentially catastrophic and might cause a tremendous loss of life.
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Due to the way power is generated by hydroelectric power, there needs to be enough altitude between the water reservoir and the electricity generating turbines, therefore suitable locations are often difficult to find.