Water was first used as a source of energy in 250 BC, this was for a clock,
according to records. Water was first used to create electricity in 1882, when a plant was
constructed on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin. Man had finally realized the
potential energy that flowing water has. Since then, man has come a long way on
developing methods to harness the power of water and use it for our benefit.
In order to extract the energy from water, man has devised a method of trapping
water behind a large wall in what is now days called a reservoir and slowly releasing it
through a narrow passage. In this narrow passage, there is a turbine that the water spins,
the turbine is connected to a generator. The generator creates power, and the power is
sent out to the power grid from there to be used by everyone.
United States
United States
Hoover Dam hydroelectric generators 1991 Scan of a...This resource is used in several spots throughout the country. Las Vegas is almost
completely dependant on the Hoover dam for power. Los Angles also draws power from
the Hoover dam. There are dams all over the United States, therefore, hydroelectric
power is used all over the U.S., but we are still the majority dependant on other resources
for energy.
Water is used as a resource all over the world, in fact the world itself has already
harnessed 44% of it's potential for water energy. Norway gets 99% of it's electricity from
hydroelectric energy. However, there are still parts of the world that are yet to develop a
solid hydroelectric source of energy. Africa only has used 5% of what is predicted
capable, and that's from only 3 dams. Places like South America, Japan, and Europe use
water as a main source of power.
There is only...