Hydropower (or hydro energy) is a form of renewable energy that uses the water stored in dams, as well as flowing in rivers to create electricity in hydropower plants. Like other forms of electricity generation, hydropower uses a turbine to help generate electricity; using the energy of falling or flowing water to turn the blades. The rotating blades spin a generator that converts the mechanical energy of the spinning turbine into electrical energy.
The amount of electricity generated from each power plant depends on the quantity of the flowing water and the height from which it falls. Some hydropower plants have what’s known as ‘pumped storage’. This means at night, when demand for electricity is low, water is pumped back up into the dam so it can be released again the next day when electricity demand is higher.
