Hydropower

Only 7% of the electricity in the United States is hydroelectric power according to the United States Government Service www.usgs.gov/. The problem with this is in 1995 about 10% of the United States electricity was hydroelectric power so were decreasing in this renewable source. Today, most of our electricity comes from burning coal, a process that emits air pollution. Coal is not a renewable source so when we mine all of it out, it’s gone. This means it will be another million years for coal deposits to develop again. Water is a renewable source; the sun plays a big role in the water cycle. We need to face the fact that burning coal is not the way go get our electricity. The pollution that is emitted from these coal plants will change the earth forever. If you drive more than twenty miles you will more than likely go over a creek, river or reservoir. We have the source for hydroelectric power and now we need to harness it. I realize coal is a major export for eastern Kentucky and if coal was not used for electricity the demand would plummet putting a lot of people out of business. We need to start utilizing our water to produce the electricity. Other countries have begun to dam up rivers to make hydroelectric power for major cities but they are not necessarily doing the right thing. Countries like Russia and China have created massive hydroelectric power plants by damming up major rivers but they do not realize the ecological effect they are causing. Small hydroelectric power plants like the Ann Mary power plant on the Kentucky River is the way to get our electricity. It has a low impact on the watershed and allows fish to migrate during the rainy season. Although it doesn’t produce like the Harrington lake power plant, we have enough streams and rivers to duplicate the Mother Ann Lee power plant. Hydroelectric power plants are the way to get a clean, renewable source of energy but we must not change our watersheds anymore than we already have.