Hydroelectricity

How it works: Image

Economics

• Building Costs
  • Dams are expensive!
    • Texas Dam proposal=$2.2 billion
  • Hydro Plants vary
    • Sources varied on price of actual plant
    • Averaged about $2,000 per kilowatt capacity
• Operating Costs/Maintenance
  • Lowest operating costs
  • Longest plant life
  • Inexpensive up-keep
• Jobs
• IT CREATES JOBS!!
  • Someone has to build the plant
  • Someone has to maintain the plant
  • Someone has to run the plant
  • PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE=JOBS
• Multipurpose Projects
  • Irrigation for food supply
  • Flood protection
  • Domestic and industrial water supply
  • Fisheries
  • Recreation

Environmental costs

• Negative impacts
  • Humans being displaced
  • Animals being displaced and/or killed
  • Failed flood control
• Positive impacts
  • Government protection for Animals and Land
  • Less oil and coal burned
    • Prevents 22 billion gallons of oil from being burned each year
    • Prevents 120 million tons of coal from being burned each year
  • Emits lowest amount of greenhouse gasses

Health Costs

• PRO=Less greenhouse gasses being emitted= less unhealthy stuff you breathe in!
• CON= construction of the dam and plant itself

Geopolitical

• Self-sufficient production
• No market fluctuations