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Hydropower
Hydropower is a renewable power source that currently accounts for 20 percent of the world's total energy production. The oldest machines for capturing energy from water were waterwheels, which date from the time of Greece and Rome. Waterwheels have also been used to saw lumber, weave cloth, and grind grain. The first industrial use of hydropower to generate electricity happened in 1880 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Norway produces virtually all of its electricity from its abundant hydropower sources.
Hydropower uses the energy of moving or falling water. In a hydroelectric power plant, the water spins turbines that generate electricity. This kind of energy does not produce solid waste or emissions. Some of the disadvantages of large hydroelectric plants and dams are that they can disrupt fish migration in rivers and displace people and wildlife. Smaller hydropower plants, which don't back up large amounts of water, would have less environmental impact.
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