Hydropower, or hydroelectric power, is a renewable source of energy that generates power by using a dam or diversion structure to alter the natural flow of a river or other body of water.

Hydropower (from Ancient Greek ὑδρο -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines.

At hydropower plants water flows through a pipe, or penstock, then pushes against and turns blades in a turbine that spin to power a generator to produce electricity.

Dec 26, 2025 · hydroelectric power, electricity produced from generators driven by turbines that convert the potential energy of falling or fast-flowing water into mechanical energy.

There are four main types of hydropower plants: run-of-river, storage, pumped storage and offshore hydropower. Only a small minority of the world's dams are built for hydropower, with the majority …

Hydropower is essential to our clean energy future. Solar, wind and battery storage may grab the headlines, yet a simple truth is often overlooked: we can’t achieve deep decarbonization of our …

Oct 19, 2023 · Hydroelectric energy, also called hydroelectric power or hydroelectricity, is a form of energy that harnesses the power of water in motion—such as water flowing over a waterfall—to …

Humans have been harnessing the energy of river currents for centuries, using water wheels spun by rivers initially to process grains and cloth. Today, hydropower provides about 16 percent of the...

Hydropower, also known as hydroelectricity, is a semi-renewable resource that uses the flow of water to generate electricity. We categorize this resource as semi-renewable, because it must be carefully …

Hydropower is a type of renewable energy that uses the power of water flows to generate electricity. The energy that is generated by hydropower plants is clean, reliable, and sustainable, making it a …