BENEFITS

Hydroelectric energy offers significant benefits, which include: 

• Hydroelectric energy is clean; it does not pollute the water or air. 
• Hydroelectric energy is a renewable energy source because it relies on water which is continually available since the water cycle is driven by the sun. 
• Depending on the design of the hydroelectric facility, electricity can be generated continuously or on demand. 
• Reservoirs created by dams can create lots of human recreational activities including boating, fishing, and swimming. 
• Hydroelectric plants are a good long term economic investment. Some of today’s plants were built 50 to 100 years ago.

CHALLENGES

There are challenges to using hydroelectric energy, which include: 

• Water sources from hydroelectric energy are often far from the grid. 
• Dams can impact fish populations because they impede fish from migrating upstream. 
• Dams can harm native plants and animals that live in the area by changing the water’s temperature and the river’s flow, as well as the chemistry of the water downstream (e.g. diatom blooms). 
• Droughts can impede hydropower facilities from functioning well. 
• When a new dam is constructed, people living in the sited reservoir area need to relocate. 
• If a dam fails, the results can be catastrophic.