Facts about Hydroelectricity

That same year, hydroelectricity supplied about 715,000 megawatts (or 19 percent) of the world's electricity (compared to 16 percent in 2003).

The main advantage of hydroelectricity is that it is nearly independent of increases in the cost of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, or coal.

Compared to wind farms, hydroelectricity power plants have a more predictable load factor.

Compared to the nuclear power plant, hydroelectricity generates no nuclear waste, nor nuclear leaks.

Hydroelectricity eliminates the flue gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, including pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, dust, and mercury in the coal.

Pumped storage hydroelectricity produces electricity to supply high peak demands by moving water between reservoirs at different elevations.

Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by hydropower—that is, the energy of moving water.