OilPrice.com | Alternative Energy | Hydroelectric

OilPrice.com | Alternative Energy | Hydroelectric News and analysis from the hydroelectric sector. Geopolitical research that looks at new hydroelectric developments and the regional impact these projects have http://oilprice.com/ Thu, 24 May 2012 20:17:04 GMT Oilprice.com (info@oilprice.com) South Africa to use Oceanic Currents for 24/7 Uninterrupted Renewable Energy http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/South-Africa-to-use-Oceanic-Currents-in-First-Example-of-247-Uninterrupted-Rene.html Renewable power faces a number of hurdles in gaining wide-scale acceptance.The first is the world’s commitment to “traditional” power sources, in which trillions of dollars have been invested – coal, hydrocarbons, and for the past five decades, nuclear.This fixation leave many renewable energy projects starved for investment, though as oil prices continue to rise and technology improves, the picture is slowly changing.The final and perhaps most significant hurdle however, is renewable energy’s inability to provide…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 08 May 2012 4:46:16 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/South-Africa-to-use-Oceanic-Currents-in-First-Example-of-247-Uninterrupted-Rene.html The Strange Case of U.S. Hydropower Legislation http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/The-Strange-Case-of-U.S.-Hydropower-Legislation.html A measure is on its way to the U.S. Senate that proposes easing some regulations for hydroelectric dams in western states. The bill passed easily through the Republican House of Representatives, but faced some objection from lawmakers who complained it would skirt necessary environmental review. A legacy of partisan rancor on Capitol Hill suggests the bill might not stand a chance of seeing the light of day, however. Either the legislation contains some truly objectionable issues, or a policy of "no" is truly keeping even the smallest of energy…

]]> dg@oilprice.com (Daniel J. Graeber) Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:24:45 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/The-Strange-Case-of-U.S.-Hydropower-Legislation.html Outrage over Dams Being Built as Part of India's Hydro Energy Scheme http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Outrage-over-Dams-Being-Built-as-Part-of-Indias-Hydro-Energy-Scheme.html In demonstrations barely reported in the media, peasants and students in the North-eastern Indian state of Assam are fighting together against a proposed gargantuan network of dams across the upper reaches of its rivers in Arunachal Pradesh, one of the world’s six most seismically active regions. The movement has gathered impressive momentum against a project that threatens devastating environmental, demographic and socio-economic impact. The anxiety and disquiet among the downstream dwellers created over the construction of mega dams in…

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]]> opendemocracy@oilprice.com (Open Democracy) Tue, 24 Jan 2012 0:11:52 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Outrage-over-Dams-Being-Built-as-Part-of-Indias-Hydro-Energy-Scheme.html Once Derided as an Expensive Folly, China’s Three Gorges Dam Goes From Strength to Strength http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Once-Derided-As-An-Expensive-Folly-Chinas-Three-Gorges-Dam-Goes-From-Strength-To-Strength.html China’s Three Gorges Dam Project was launched in 1993 with a $27.69 billion budget. While the Three Gorges construction finished in late 2008, its final six additional turbines in the underground power plant only started generating electricity last year. Located on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, the Three Gorges Dam is now the world's largest water control and hydropower project, consisting of a 7,661 foot-long, 594 foot -high dam, a five-tier ship lock, with 26 hydropower turbo-generators generating 20,300 megawatts.…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:13:03 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Once-Derided-As-An-Expensive-Folly-Chinas-Three-Gorges-Dam-Goes-From-Strength-To-Strength.html A Detailed Look at Hydroelectricity's Potential http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/A-Detailed-Look-At-Hydroelectricitys-Potential.html Having now sorted solar, wind, and tidal power into three “boxes,” let’s keep going and investigate another source of non-fossil energy and put it in a box. Today we’ll look at hydroelectricity. As one of the earliest renewable energy resources to be exploited, hydroelectricity is the low-hanging fruit of the renewable world. It’s steady, self-storing, highly efficient, cost-effective, low-carbon, low-tech, and offers a serious boon to water skiers. I’m sold! Let’s have more of that! How much might we expect to get from hydro, and…

]]> murphyt@oilprice.com (Tom Murphy) Wed, 04 Jan 2012 3:07:49 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/A-Detailed-Look-At-Hydroelectricitys-Potential.html New Mega-Dam to be Built in Alaska? http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/New-Mega-Dam-To-Be-Built-In-Alaska.html Dams are used to generate hydroelectricity, prevent floods, irrigate farms and supply water to cities. However they also wreck ecosystems and can destroy the livelihood of families and communities, who lose their land to reservoirs or see the dams destroy their fisheries. These growing environmental concerns put pressure on the abandonment of dam-building projects, which have rapidly diminished the number of wild rivers in the world. In fact many dams have been demolished in order to reinstate river habitats and revive fisheries. Back in 1995 the…

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]]> burgessj@oilprice.com (James Burgess) Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:49:29 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/New-Mega-Dam-To-Be-Built-In-Alaska.html South Africa Signs Major Energy Agreement with Democratic Republic of Congo http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/South-Africa-Signs-Major-Energy-Agreement-With-Democratic-Republic-Of-Congo.html Africa has for the last couple of decades found itself between a rock and a hard place on energy issues, seeing foreigners race in to exploit hydrocarbon reserves (Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, etc.) while soaring population rates and a lack of infrastructure investment have left many nation’s populations bereft of reliable and inexpensive energy resources. One of Africa’s greatest potential energy assets is the vast hydropower of its rivers, which have largely been underutilized up to now. South Africa and the Democratic Republic…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:01:08 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/South-Africa-Signs-Major-Energy-Agreement-With-Democratic-Republic-Of-Congo.html Despite Booming Economy, Brazilians Rally Against Amazonian Dam http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Despite-Booming-Economy-Brazilians-Rally-Against-Amazonian-Dam.html No one in the developing world is against hydroelectric projects, which bring the benefits of power and development. Except perhaps the locals. Brazil’s proposed Belo Monte Amazon dam is experiencing an “occupy” moment, with 100s of Xingu River basin indigenous peoples and riverine community members gathering to protest the facility’s construction. The 11,000 megawatt dam Belo Monte Dam is to be built in Altamira, in Para state in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, and if built, will be the world’s largest hydroelectric project. The protesters…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:37:52 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Despite-Booming-Economy-Brazilians-Rally-Against-Amazonian-Dam.html Ethiopia's Hydroelectric Program - Boon or Folly? http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Ethiopias-Hydroelectric-Program-Boon-Or-Folly.html Developing countries worldwide view the construction of power facilities as integral to their economic development to lift their populations out of poverty. Ethiopia has now embarked on massive hydroelectric schemes currently involving the construction of two large dams, but the Ethiopian government’s obdurate refusal to consider the potential environmental and political impacts of its efforts to become the “energy hub” of East Africa have generated rising concerns not only in Ethiopia but neighboring nations depending on the country’s…

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]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:48:10 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Ethiopias-Hydroelectric-Program-Boon-Or-Folly.html Tajikistan - The Future is Hydroelectricity - or Perhaps Not http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Tajikistan-The-Future-Is-Hydroelectricity-Or-Perhaps-Not.html Pity poor Tajikistan. The poorest of the former Soviet republics, after the 1991 implosion of the USSR Tajikistan slid the following year into a violent civil war, which saw Muslim fundamentalists battling the government. The conflict lasted five years and cost 50,000 dead. When the smoke cleared, what little was left of the Soviet infrastructure lay largely in shambles. Since 1997 the government has attempted to improve the economy, but its marginal industrial base combined with rampant corruption has left the nation largely devoid of foreign…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:49:38 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Tajikistan-The-Future-Is-Hydroelectricity-Or-Perhaps-Not.html Small Hydropower’s Negative Impact on The Environment http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Small-Hydropowers-Negative-Impact-On-The-Environment.html A belief that 'small' hydropower systems are a source of clean energy with little or no environmental problems is driving the growing interest in mini, micro, and pico hydro systems that generate from less than 5 kilowatts up to 10 megawatts of energy. Hydropower appears to be the cleanest and most versatile of renewable energy sources. But experience shows that optimism about its potential can be misplaced. Lessons of large hydro Hydropower uses water and gravity (a totally carbon-free and inexhaustible resource) to drive turbines and generate…

]]> scidev@oilprice.com (SciDev SciDev) Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:47:08 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Small-Hydropowers-Negative-Impact-On-The-Environment.html Hydroelectricity in Tajikistan: A glimpse at the Present and Future http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Hydroelectricity-In-Tajikistan-A-Glimpse-At-The-Present-And-Future.html The dam, the central feature of the Nurek Hydroelectric Power plant, stands 300 meters high, and supports nine hydroelectric generating units. The facility provides as much as 98 percent of Tajikistan's power. In summer, as the glaciers high in the Pamir Mountains melt, that means almost constant power in Dushanbe, 75 kilometers away. The dam complex and electricity plant are shrouded in secrecy and even photos of President Imomali Rakhmon's picture in front of the building were not allowed. Police chased away this reporter after detaining him…

]]> Eurasianet@oilprice.com (Eurasianet ) Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:54:36 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Hydroelectricity-In-Tajikistan-A-Glimpse-At-The-Present-And-Future.html Iran Sending Equipment to Tajikistan for Controversial Hydropower Plant http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Iran-Sending-Equipment-To-Tajikistan-For-Controversial-Hydropower-Plant.html Iran has begun transporting equipment to Tajikistan for the construction of a controversial hydropower plant. Ali Asghar Sherdust, Iranian ambassador to Tajikistan, said today that 75 tons of mainly electronic equipment to be used in the construction of the Sangtuda-2 hydropower plant (HPP) were flown into Dushanbe from Iran on December 29. Sherdust said the air shipments of the equipment are the only way to avoid postponing the completion of the project. He added that Iran has had difficulty in the past year transporting construction materials…

]]> rlst@oilprice.com (RFE/RL staff) Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:58:37 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Iran-Sending-Equipment-To-Tajikistan-For-Controversial-Hydropower-Plant.html The Incredible potential of Small Scale Hydropower http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/The-Incredible-Potential-Of-Small-Scale-Hydropower.html With the right support, small-scale hydropower could be a cheap and clean fuel for development, says energy advisor Teodoro Sanchez. During the past three decades, hydropower plants have been criticized for their environmental impact. But although large-scale plants have impacts, small hydro systems have no need for large dams, roads and other major infrastructure. In fact, most such plants are 'run-of-the-river' systems that rely more on gravity and nature than concrete and infrastructure. Given the right resources, small hydropower schemes are…

]]> scidev@oilprice.com (SciDev SciDev) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:03:26 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/The-Incredible-Potential-Of-Small-Scale-Hydropower.html China’s Hydroelectric Sector Crippled by Severe Drought http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Chinas-Hydroelectric-Sector-Crippled-By-Severe-Drought.html The unexpected things often determine the results of energy experiments or expectations. It is also axiomatic that nothing is ever perfect in this business. For proof of those two thoughts, consider what has been happening in China the past several months and how it has affected what was supposed to be one of the best examples of energy alternatives. A severe drought that has plagued southwest China since August 2009 has caused a painful shortage of water in the region. And that drought is crippling the region’s hydroelectric power generation…

]]> irell.quezada@gmail.com (Michael Economides) Wed, 12 May 2010 17:38:01 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Chinas-Hydroelectric-Sector-Crippled-By-Severe-Drought.html The Hydropower Solution in Central Asia: yes but... http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/The-Hydropower-Solution-In-Central-Asia-Yes-But.html Surfing the wave of the hype for renewable energy such as hydropower and the invitation by the United States to many regional countries to get involved in the efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, Tajikistan is bringing back to the table the Rogun hydropower dam project. Rogun, conceived in Soviet days, was planned to generate 3,600 megawatts but the collapse of the Soviet Union halted the completion of this project. Now an independent country, Tajikistan, one of the poorest in the world, sees Rogun as a central element for its energy independence…

]]> philipdel@oilprice.com (Philip H. de Leon) Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:59:29 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/The-Hydropower-Solution-In-Central-Asia-Yes-But.html Hydroelectric Energy Explained http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Hydroelectric-Energy-Explained.html What is hydroelectric energy Hydroelectricity is basically electricity generated from the kinetic energy in moving water. It’s important to understand that the water doesn’t need to be falling, just moving! Energy created this way is called hydroelectric power or hydropower.At present hydropower is the most popular form of renewable energy and accounts for over 80% of the electricity generated from renewables and over 20% of the worlds electricity supply.The Scandinavian countries are big users of hydroelectric power, with Norway producing…

]]> admin@oilprice.com (Editorial Dept) Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:48:57 GMT http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Hydroelectric-Energy-Explained.html