The Hidden Cost of Hydroelectric Power

Hydroelectric Power (Dams & Pumped Storage)

Date posted: 11/04/14

Dr. Conca reports that developing countries are planning to dramatically expand hydroelectric power generation in their desperate need for electricity and irrigation. It is also a strategic decision to use their own resources. Second only to nuclear power in providing low-carbon, long-term reliable base load generation, hydroelectric power is an excellent way to increase energy production without mortgaging your country future to another country fossil fuel supplies. Over six hundred hydroelectric dams are presently under construction and over 3,000 are planned for the near-future. Most of these sites are in Asia and Latin America -Vox.com. This would double the amount of hydropower in the world. But there is another side to this story. A dramatic expansion of dam construction, especially in tropical regions where many of these developing countries are, will also dramatically affect river ecosystems. There are even questions about the low-carbon aspects of hydroelectric power, although they are exaggerated. The search for cheap power may well dam up most of the important rivers on this planet. Hydroelectric dams can harm river fish species, most of which are already endangered or at risk. In fact, freshwater fish are one of the most imperiled groups of vertebrates on Earth. Loss of these fish, even locally, can harm societies and economies that depend on the river. Since most of these societies are also poor and experiencing rapid population growth, this becomes an apparent catch-22.