Energy sources hydroelectric power

After 1930, four other energy sources began to contribute significantly, as wood use continued its slow decline and coal production was relatively flat. These four were oil, natural gas, nuclear power (beginning in the 1950s), and hydroelectricity. The... 

Hydroelectric sources of power are being exploited to the full in both the US and UK, and the contribution of nuclear power is subject both to the supply of uranium ore and to environmental problems. At present, nuclear generation only contributes around 7 per cent of the total UK energy consumption. 

The water in rivers and streams can be captured and turned into hydropower (HP), also called hydroelectric power. HP currently provides about 17% of the world s electricity supply, virtually all of Norway s electricity and more than 40% of the electricity nsed in developing countries. However, there is great potential in hydropower worldwide. Norway produces more than 99% of its electricity with hydropower. New Zealand nses hydropower for 75% of its electricity. HP provides more than 97% of all electricity generated by renewable sources. Other sources, biomass, geothermal, solar and wind account for less than 3% of renewable electricity production. When the electricity share of total energy consumption is considered, the increase becomes even more dramatic. 

These fuels (pure H2, H2-CO2, H2-CO-CO2) may also be produced from renewable energy sources, such as biomass, solar, windmill and hydroelectric power. 

The outlined perspectives of both nuclear and fossil fuel-derived energies are reason enough to promote alternative energy sources. As mentioned earlier, one of the chief renewable sources is water, and the generation of hydroelectric power is extensive on a global scale... 

Production and consumption of commercially available fossil fuel, nuclear power, and hydroelectric power in the United States for the year 1992 is shown in Table 2 (12). Coal production is most significant followed by natural gas and petroleum. Electricity generation and utilization patterns are shown in Table 4. Coal is overwhelmingly the most significant energy source used to generate electricity. 

Hydroelectric power is a well-developed energy source. Today, hydropower provides about 19 percent of the world s electricity supply. Because it is a clean, renewable source of energy, hydropower should continue to serve as a vital energy source. 

In 2000, fossil fuels accounted for almost 90 percent of the world s energy production (see Table 1). Nuclear power and hydroelectric plants supplied about 13 percent and geochemical, wind, and solar energy sources supplied only a fraction of 1 percent. Biomass, including the burning of wood, is not included in the table because it is so difficult to estimate. 

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