Thesis: Hydropower is America’s largest source of clean energy and is sustainable, affordable, reliable, available, and job creating. But others argue that is it interrupts the natural balance of bodies of water and their surrounding ecosystems, including their inhabitants.
General Information

Hydropower is the production of electricity through the energy of moving water.
Hydro plants depend on a tri-step method in which electricity is made in an electric plant, a dam, and a storage reservoir for the water.
“The water behind the dam flows through an intake and pushes against blades in a turbine, causing them to turn. The turbine spins a generator to produce electricity. The amount of electricity that can be generated depends on how far the water drops and how much water moves through the system.” This method of sustainable energy originated in the 1800s
The primary hydroelectric power plant built in 1879 at Niagara Falls.
Pro/For

Hydropower is America’s largest source of clean energy
Makes up 65.9% of the nation’s renewable electricity and 7% total electricity.
Because it is a domestic based, by rivers, streams, and oceans, it is made here and therefore benefits here.
By the year 2025 hydropower will be predicted to create 1.4 million+ jobs.
This energy source is dependable and accessible even in the case of a blackout
Because it relies solely on water the cost of it is more predictable than a fuel dependent source.
It powers 30 million American