Hydroelectricity

renewable energy · water power · clean electricity

Water does the work. When water flows downhill through a dam, it spins turbines like a giant water wheel, and those spinning turbines generate electricity. It's basically nature's power plant.

Powers the world. Hydroelectric power supplies about 15% of all the electricity used worldwide, which is more than any other renewable energy source. That's enough electricity for billions of people.

Turn it up or down. Unlike power plants that burn coal, hydroelectric dams can produce more or less electricity in just seconds by controlling how much water flows through the turbines. This helps match electricity supply with what people actually need.

Clean without fossil fuels. Once a hydroelectric dam is built, it produces electricity without burning any coal, oil, or gas, so it releases far fewer greenhouse gases than traditional power plants. It's one of the cleanest ways to make electricity.

Sometimes a tricky choice. While hydropower is usually very clean, building dams in rainforests can create problems because flooded forests release greenhouse gases into the air, so engineers have to think carefully about where to build them.