Hydroelectric power is an alternative method to fossil fuel-driven mechanisms. Take, for instance, the Hoover Dam, which generates ~4 billion kilowatt hours per year, and is one of the nation’s largest sources of hydroelectric power.
Hydroelectric power plants and dams usually draw the majority of their power from a reservoir of water, whose output is then controlled by a gate-like mechanism. Potential energy is gained as the water flows down hill, and in the case of the Hoover Dam, power is derived from two ‘wicket gates’ which then reach turbines that control the main power output for the Dam.
Hydroelectric power, be it through dams or other resources, is responsible for ~71 of renewable energy used worldwide, the biggest contributors being the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, and China.
Hydroelectricity is unique in its versatility and application, as well as its vast potentiality in power capacity and drive. It is a form of renewable energy that we should consider making more use of.
Resources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/hydroelectric-energy/
