Hydropower 103

Waterfalls, flowing rivers, great dams, pipelines – where is all of America’s hydropower, operating right now and potential for the future?

And while we’re looking, we must include the same data for Canada because their potential could be a major factor in removing the world political power of oil.

I’m afraid we have to deal with some statistics to make a point, but we’ll keep it simple:

Current data United States Canada
Total Energy Capacity (GW) * 1,087.2 411.7
Total Hydro Capacity 77.6 70.8
Total Coal Capacity (for comparison) 333.1 n.a.
Potential Hydro Capacity 150.0 233.8

Thus hydro – together with the availability of vast amounts of Canadian natural gas-could substantially reduce, if not eliminate, our dependency on coal – or reduce or eliminate our need for Mideast Oil.

The additional U.S. hydro potentials are all over the country and of all sizes. In Canada the majority of the available hydro sites are in the west and Quebec in the east.

The successful development of this clean and low-cost energy will depend greatly on

(1) the relationship between the U.S. and Canada; and

(2) the continuing development of a true and adequate transmission system to deliver the hydro-developed power to the ultimate consumer.

Much was learned from the infamous “black-outs” of 1965 and 1977. The disturbing statement from the commission studying the two massive power failures was basically that “it could very well happen again.” The grid was inadequate.

Finally, while the product of hydropower plants is the lowest cost, the cost of building the plants and upgrading the transmission system (also called “the grid”) must be considered. It is good to note that part of the new administration’s energy plan is to expand and improve the national grid.

Again we adopt the American tradition of optimism

*(GW) = 1 billion watts