Hydropower is electricity made from moving water. Here’s the basic process:
- Water stored behind a dam (or flowing in a river) is released through large pipes or channels.
- The force of that moving water spins a turbine; basically a giant underwater pinwheel.
- The turbine turns a generator, which produces electricity.
- The water then continues downstream; nothing is consumed or burned.
Some hydropower comes from big dams with reservoirs, and some comes from “run-of-river” projects that use the natural flow of a river with little or no storage. Either way, the idea is the same: use the energy in moving water to spin turbines and generate power.