1. An Argument for Hydroelectric Power
Anne Laschober
University of Arkansas- College of Engineering
800 W. Dickson St.
Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA
Abstract- Water covers 96.5% of the Earth. This paper discusses
the argument for hydroelectricpower, a form of renewable
energy that uses water to produce power and electricity. This
paper provides an introduction of hydroelectricpower and
explains howit generates electricity. This paperalso discusses the
pros, cons, ethical implications of supporting this position, and
the importance of educating the public of the reasons why
hydroelectricpower shouldbe the energy of the future.
I. INTRODUCTION
With over 3.5 million miles of rivers in the United
States alone, there is an abundance of flowing water that can
be harnessed for its energy. Water is a very common
renewable resource on Earth and when used to generate
power, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.One of the main
arguments against hydroelectric power is the environmental
damage it can cause. If the government would devote more
money to research to dramatically increase any environmental
damage, the only argument against hydroelectric power would
no longer be an argument. This paper will cover a basic
introduction into hydroelectric power, present the pros and
cons of this form of renewable energy, discuss two ethical
implications of this type of power, and showan example of
how the facts stated in this paper have also been presented in
contemporary media.
II. WHAT IS HYDROELECTRIC POWER
The concept of harnessing the power of falling water
has been around for centuries, although the engineering behind
it has changed drastically in the last two. In a hydroelectric
power plant, the energy generated by flowing water is
harnessed to create hydroelectric power. The force produced
from falling water is used to turn a turbine inside a generator
that produces electricity [1]. This process can be seen below
in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Diagram of how hydroelectric power is produced using a turbine,
generator, and falling water [1]
Hydroelectric dams are usually built where there is a
significant decrease in elevation on a large river. The dam is
placed at this location so that the natural flow of water from a
higher elevation to a lower elevation can be used to generate
power. At the bottomof the wall of the dam on the reservoir
side is a door called the water intake. This door will remain
open at all times or closed during periods of time, depending
on the demand for electricity in the area. Gravity is harnessed
once again to allow the water to flow through the penstock
portion of the dam to where the turbine is. The turbine moves
due to the force of the falling water, which in turn moves the
propeller. This propeller is connected by a shaft to the
generator above,which produces the power and creates the
electricity. Power lines are connected to this generator which
is how the power produced at a hydroelectric dam reaches the
people who use it [1]. This flow of water through a dam can
be seen below in Fig. 2. A simple calculation can be done
using (1) to find the energy in an elevated water volume, W, in
Joules. In this equation ρ is the density of water in kg/m3, V is
the volume of the water in m3, g is gravity on Earth in m/s2,
and h is the height of the water in m.
𝑊 = ρ* V * g * h [2] (1)

2. Fig. 2. Diagram showing how water flows through a hydroelectric dam [1]
III. ARGUMENTS FOR HYDROELECTRIC POWER
As stated before, the arguments for hydroelectric
power production greatly outweigh the arguments against it. A
major problem with fossil fuels is the emissions that is
released into the atmosphere when they are used. With
hydroelectric power, the effects of global warming can be
slowed down substantially.Hydroelectric power does not
release carbon dioxide or pollutants into the air when it is
generated [3], thus reducing acid rain, smog, and toxic by-
products [4]. The use of hydroelectric power also helps the
United States to avoid 200 million metric tons of carbon
emissions each year [5] and prevents the emission of
greenhouse gasses that result from the burning of 4.4 million
barrels of oil per day throughout the world [4].
Hydroelectric power plants are good investments for
the future. Hydroelectric dams bring electricity, which thus
increases the industry and commerce of an area. If an area
grows as a result of a hydroelectric installation, the economy
will also grow; this means there will be better access to
education and health care. Better access to education and
health care then improves the quality of life for citizens in an
area powered by a dam [4]. Anotherway that hydroelectric
power plants increase the quality of life for citizens in the area
comes from the recreational opportunities created [3]. Often
large recreational lakes are created as a result of a
hydroelectric power plant, which provides opportunities for
boating, swimming, and fishing.
Once a hydroelectric power plant is built, it requires
very little operating and maintenance costs [4]. Due to this
fact, a power plan will generate enough energy in its lifetime
to compensate for the initial cost of building it. Another
important aspect of hydroelectric power is that the power can
be generated according to demand by controlling the flow of
water [6]. As described in the section about how hydroelectric
power is produced,the intake doors at the bottomof the dam
wall can be shut if there is not a large demand for electricity at
that time.
Table I shows an overview comparison between
hydroelectric power and two other forms of renewable energy.
Ultimately, hydroelectric power is a much betterchoice for
renewable energy compared to other forms because the cost is
low and its readily available.
TABLE I [7]
A COMPARISON BETWEEN RENEWABLE ENERGY TYPES
Hydroelectric Themal Nuclear
Investmentper
kW High Lower Very High
Energy Cost Low High Very High
Transmission
Line Long Shorter Shorter
Building Time Long Shorter Long
Lifetime Long Shorter Medium
Job Generation High Low Medium
Environmental
Impact Reservoir Atmosphere Radioactivity
Greenhouse
Effect Lower High None
Import Import High Medium
Return Rate Low High Low
IV. ARGUMENTS AGAINST HYDROELECTRIC POWER
Many argue against hydroelectric power due to the
environmental impact it can produce.Hydroelectric power
plants can have serious effects on a surround area, such as
altering the amount and quality of the water after it passes
through the dam. The amount and quality of the water is
important because if it is poor, the plant, aquatic, and land life
below a dam can all be affected [3]. Anotherbig problem is
that fish can get caught in the turbines and killed as a result.
However, there are multiple methods already used in
hydroelectric dams to reduce this problem, such as take-in
screens and fish ladders [8]. Unlike, many othertypes of
renewable energy, the problems caused by a hydroelectric
power plant are natural and can be fixed through ingenuity and
research.
v. FIRST ETHICAL IMPLICATION
According to the IEEE Code of Ethics, the first rule
states that members of IEEE commit and agree to “accept
responsibility in making decisions consistent with safety,
health, and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly
factors that might endanger the public or environment” [9].
The part of this agreement that affects hydroelectric power has
to do with factors that endanger the environment. As discussed
in the ‘arguments against’ portion of this paper, there are some
resulting issues from hydroelectric power that have a huge
impact on the environment. Hydroelectric dams result in the
killing of fish when they get stuck in turbines, the destroying
of habitats of species and forests,the blocking of migratory
routes for fish, and the production of methane from the
destruction of forests when a dam is built [3]. If an engineer
wanted to adopt the position that hydroelectric power is the
future of energy, yet also remain loyal to the IEEE Code of
Ethics, this engineer would have to acknowledge that the

3. concept of hydroelectric power is not without its flaws. Upon
recognizing the drawbacks of this form of renewable energy,
the engineer should devote either their personal time or hire
others to conduct research to mitigate these drawbacks to the
best of their ability. Being aware of the problem is the first
step,but it is very important to follow through and make sure
that the problem is solved.
VI. SECOND ETHICAL IMPLICATION
According to the IEEE Code of Ethics, the first rule
states that members of IEEE commit and agree to “be honest
and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available
data” [9]. In support of a particular form of renewable energy,
it would be against the IEEE Code of Ethics for an engineer to
fabricate data or information in order to further the cause.
Often engineers are invited to conferences or meetings at
which they give a presentation about their opinion on a type of
renewable energy. As stated above,in order to avoid this
implication with the IEEE Code of Ethics, an engineer must
always be honest about the data that is available or isn’t
available when supporting their positions.
VIII. IDENTIFIED IN CONTEMPORARY MEDIA
In a New York Times article “Stop Wasting
America’s Hydropower Potential”, the authors,Lisa
Murkowski and Jay Faison, cite President Obama saying that
climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing our
country and that he was open to new ideas to address it. The
authors then go on to explain how the President could start by
increasing legislation to grow the United States’hydropower
capacity [10]. Murkowski and Faison then proceed to explain
the pros of hydroelectric power and why they believe that this
renewable energy form has a lot of unused potential. The New
York Times is a very popular, yet reliable media outlet in the
world today; as a result, this article probably was read by
millions of people. This type of support for and exposure of
hydroelectric power in the mainstream media is exactly what
the argument for this renewable energy form needs.Spreading
the world and educating people about the benefits will be
important in the future of hydroelectric power.
IX. CONCLUSION
Renewable energy is the energy of the future. There
are a lot of good sources of renewable energy available in this
world today that should be harnessed fortheir potential. It is
important to be aware of the arguments for and against each
type of renewable energy. Many good forms of renewable
energy do not yet have the technology available to make it a
viable option. However, this is not the case with hydroelectric
power. Hydroelectric power has been around for a significant
amount of time and the technology needed to use it is readily
available. The United States government should invest more
money into hydroelectric power, whether it be in the
renovation of hydroelectric power plants or in research to
reduce the environmental impact often caused by the dams.
Tapping into the hydroelectric power opportunities available
would greatly improve the future of energy.
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