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Hydro Power: Possibilities & Problems

Started by RE, Apr 05, 2024, 01:15 AM

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RE

The Niagarra is Amerka's best known river?  I thought it was the Mississippi?  Minor quibble.

On the plausible, positive front, the development of hydro power systems from rivers that are slower moving and/or do not have suitable geography with a rapid drop in altitude and place to build a dam does provide an as of yet undeveloped source of renewable energy.  There are many more locations that could be tapped for energy harvesting using this method.

On the negative side, no really big project has yet been built to demonstrate it's power and cost-effectiveness.  Its also bound to have some as yet unknown ecological blowback.  For instance if it was used in the Yukon or Susitna rivers up here, what would happen to all the salmon trying to swim upstream to spawn?  I'm sure the intakes  and exhaust pipes are protected by screens so the fish can't actually swim into the turbines, but it would change the river flow which might confuse the fish.

Minor annoyance, the writer calls this an "electric battery" which obviously it's not.  Batteries store electricity, they don't produce it.  It's appalling how scientifically ignorant so many of the writers and editors are doing this propaganda.

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/energy-niagara-river-america/2376/

America´s best-known river surprises scientists: has the most sought-after energy at the bottom

RE