Essay - Biology/hydropower Renewable Energy Resource: Hydropower by the Term Itself, Renewable...

Biology/Hydropower

RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCE: HYDROPOWER

By the term itself, renewable energy means energy that can be "renewed" or replenish. Unlike fossil fuels, which are finite - and toxic ***** energy sources, ***** energy comes straight from nature's bounty itself and can be tapped ***** the sun, wind, hydro and geothermal emissions. Of the renewable energy sources that generate electricity, hydropower is the most often used. It accounted for 6 percent of total U.S. electricity generation and 71 ***** of generation from ********** in 2007. (Energy Information Administration, 2008) Hydropower taps the power of water to ***** electricity. Usually, the ***** is harnessed by taking advantage of gravity when water falls from one level to another. The energy ***** falling water is converted into mechanical energy. (Net Industries, *****) One of the major advantages of ***** is that it ***** considered a clean source of energy and is non-polluting unlike the emissions ***** fossil *****, which have been one of ***** causes of the greenhouse effect.

*****, the fall or flow of ***** is the primary dynamics of electric*****y or energy production using hydropower. ***** ***** ***** of producing energy via hydropower follows (Net Industries, 2008):

Water is held in a large reservoir behind a dam with a hydroelectric power plant below The dam creates a height from which water *****s

***** fast-moving flow of water from the dam pushes the turbine blades that turn the rotor part of the electric generator

***** the coils of wire on the rotor sweep past the generator's stationary coil, electricity is produced.

Whenever power is needed at peak times, water valves ***** opened and, in a short ********** of time, turbine generators produce extra power.

***** is unfortunate that renewable energy does not constitute a major power source not only for the United States but ***** world as well. This is due to the fact that most industries and technology are tailored to use coal and fossil fuel. A shift to renewable energy-b*****ed ***** ***** technology would mean a ***** capital output. Of late though, ***** surging price of oil in the world market last summer showed a need to rethink ********** alternative energy *****s. To add to ***** misery, the financial crisis faced by the country and ***** near bankruptcy of the ********** three automakers in the country are becoming rallying points for the country to harness natural ***** sources. The 6 percent U.S. energy generation using ***** ***** is getting a renewed boost in 2009 "***** enough ***** resources to make the capital-*****tensive investments necessary in ***** renewable energy space (Lacey, 2008)."

Over ********** of the ***** U.S. ***** capacity ***** ***** generation is concentrated in three States (Wash*****g*****n, California ***** Oregon) with approximately 27 ***** in Washington, ***** location of the Nation's largest hydroelectric facility - ***** Grand Coulee Dam (Energy ***** Admin*****tration, *****). By next year, there is a big possibility ***** other *****s will be opened up to provide additional alternative energy sources for the *****. One of *****