From Rivers to Electricity: Explaining the Power of Hydro Energy

The planet is electric. It is literally filled with ways for us to create renewable energy and power our lives. Not only can renewable energy provide us with electricity, but it can also help us move away from a dependence on fossil fuels. Our Power, Our Planet is the theme for Earth Day 2025, which carries a focus on “harnessing renewable energy to build a healthy, sustainable, equitable and prosperous future for us all.”

With this theme in mind, we are focusing our next few weeks on the different types of renewable energy options. This renewable energy series will take a look at the good, the bad, and the encouraging sides of each type of renewable energy. This week’s focus is on hydro energy as a renewable energy source.

Why Hydro Energy is the Future

My entire life has been powered by hydro electricity. Having all of my electricity come from hydro energy is something that I’ve taken for granted in a way, since I haven’t had to think through who my electricity provider was and whether they are a sustainable source. As I got older, I realized that this isn’t the case everywhere!

I am grateful that my province of British Columbia is able to utilize nature to provide sustainable energy. Here are some more facts about hydro energy that are encouraging for a sustainable future:

• 15% of the world’s electricity is provided by hydropower;
• In 2022, 189 countries around the globe generated 22.83 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity with hydro energy;
• Hydro energy exists on all continents except for Antarctica;
• Hydro energy has been around for ages! Early hydro-electric projects include one in Northumberland, England, in 1878 which powered a single lamp and one in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1882 which generated about 12.5 kilowatts of energy.

From Nature to Your Home: The Science Behind Hydro Energy

Hydro energy works by harnessing the power of moving water—just like a watermill that spins when a river flows through it. In modern hydropower plants, flowing or falling water spins large turbines, which then turn a generator to produce electricity.

There are four types of hydropower systems. In basic terms, these are:

1. Run-of-river hydropower, which channels water from a river to spin a turbine;
2. Storage hydropower, which uses a dam to store water in a reservoir that is then released to spin a turbine;
3. Pumped storage hydropower, which cycles water between two reservoirs, one upper and one lower;
4. Offshore hydropower, which is an emerging system using tidal currents and waves to generate electricity.

Since water is constantly moving, hydro energy is reliable, renewable, and clean. This makes hydro energy a key option in the world’s sustainable energy future. Check out this video below for a visual on how a hydro-electric dam works.

Why Hydro Energy is a Better Option for the Planet

Hydro energy is a great option for our planet because it avoids burning fossil fuels and the production of greenhouse gas emissions.

Hydro energy has a number of other advantages too, such as:

1. Hydro energy is a renewable source. It can come from our planet’s natural running water.
2. Hydro energy can be a more reliable energy source. Water dams can be utilized to react to the highs and lows of energy needs.
3. Hydropower dams can help mitigate flood risks by regulating water flow and storing excess water during heavy rainfall.
4. Hydroelectric plants produce little pollution, which means our air is cleaner to breathe.
5. Hydro electricity is an affordable energy choice. Once the infrastructure is built, the cost of hydro energy is one of the more affordable options.

The Latest Challenges and Breakthroughs in Hydro Energy

While there are a number of advantages to hydro energy, it can’t be ignored that hydro electric dams are a huge disruption to nature in the areas they are built in. It is not just the disruption during the process of being built, but also the impact of the dams themselves with how they alter the landscape.

In our province of British Columbia, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the building of a new dam. As I said before, I have had hydro electricity all of my life, so there are a number of dams already constructed in our province. The growing need for energy means that more dams–or more energy sources–are needed. The new dam project in question is called Site C and has been ongoing since before 2011.

Site C is an 83-kilometre-long reservoir and earth dam and, to build it, included the need to flood at least 3,800-hectares of agricultural land. The reservoir was filled as of November 2024 and the impacts of it’s construction will continue to be felt. B.C. Hydro was aware of these realities when it “submitted impact reports, forecasting it would flood bear dens, destroy habitat for migratory birds and fish, flood First Nations heritage sites and force about 20 families to move.”

So while our energy supply has been increased with more sustainable energy, there are huge impacts to this type of energy that cannot be ignored.

The Impact of Hydro Energy Around the World

Hydro energy is used all around the world on almost every continent. The largest hydro electric dams in the world are:

1. The Three Gorges Dam in China with a capacity of 22,500 megawatts (MW);
2. The Baihetan Dam in China with a capacity of 16,000 MW;
3. The Itaipú hydroelectric power plant in Brazil and Paraguay with a capacity of 14,000 MW;

Further down the list are the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington, USA, with a capacity of 6,800 MW and the The Robert-Bourassa generating station in Quebec, Canada with a capacity of 5,616 MW.

As this great visual from Boston University’s Institute for Global Sustainability shows, the hydropower capacity of countries around the world keep growing.

How to Advocate for Clean Energy

Right now in Canada we are about to vote in a federal election for a new Prime Minister. Election seasons are always a great reminder that who we elect into power matters for our planet. Our government leaders and policy makers have a great amount of power and responsibility for shaping the planet for our future generations.

Here are some ways that you can engage with government officials to advocate for change:

1. Vote – educate yourself on the various party policies and vote for those that are champions of the environment;
2. Write your MLA’s or local government official – contact the official in your riding or city and let them know what concerns you and what changes you would like to see;
3. Start a letter writing campaign – don’t stop at a single letter! Get your friends and family involved in a letter writing campaign where multiple people write letters regarding the same topic. The more your representative hears about an issue and how it impacts multiple people in their area, the more likely they are to take action;
4. Start a petition – similar to a letter writing campaign, this shows your local government how certain issues are important to a large group of people.

A Renewable Future Starts With Us

Hydro energy is a great example of how we can work with nature to power our lives sustainably. With over 180 countries harnessing hydroelectricity, it’s already a global movement—and it’s only growing.

We each play a part in building a sustainable future. Whether it’s learning more about clean energy, choosing a green utility plan, or advocating for renewable policy, our voice and choices matter.

Share this post, talk about hydropower and renewable energy with friends, or explore programs that let you support green energy at home. Every action, big or small, can make an impact and can bring us closer to a world powered by clean, renewable energy.

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