What are some advantages and disadvantages of hydro-electricity?

Question

what are some advantages and disadvantages of hydro-electricity?

Answer 1

advantages:

-its renewable

-its efficient

-its relatively easy to maintain

disadvantages:

-destroys a whole lot of forest and river in order to be made

-may disrupt natural activity of aquatic life in river

-high cost

Answer 2

Advantages: See Boo's answer.

Disadvantages: Water flow is not always constant therefore electricity supply may not always meet demand.

Boo's answer for possible disruption of aquatic life and offset of natural balance ecological balance in the area of the power plant.

High cost is dependant on the location and work necessary to construct the plant. Cost in many cases is no more than a coal, natural gas or oil fired plant. Plus, you have to consider that a hydro plant has no greenhouse emissions and doesn't require the cleanup that other plants do. Remember for a coal, natural gas or oil fired plant you have to get those resources shipped in, which is known as "recurring cost". Factoring all things together, in the long run the hydro plant may even be cheaper because of this.

Another disadvantage is location. We can't locate hydro plants anywhere we want they have to be where a strong flow of water is.

If it were possible all power plants would be wind or geothermal, but this is definately not possible. So the next best solution is hydro.