Electricity production - The various methods.

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Electricity Production

The Various Methods

There are many ways to produce electricity, although not all are in wide use. Here are some of the more popular new methods and facts about how they are used.

Hydro-Electric Power

Hydro-electric power plants convert the kinetic energy contained in falling water into electricity. The energy in flowing water is ultimately derived from the sun, and is therefore constantly being renewed. Energy contained in sunlight evaporates water from the oceans and deposits it on land in the form of rain. Differences in land elevation result in rainfall runoff, and allow some of the original solar energy to be captured as hydro-electric power (Figure 1).

Hydro power is currently the world's largest renewable source of electricity, accounting for 6% of worldwide energy supply or about 15% of the world's electricity. In Canada, hydroelectric power is abundant and supplies 60% of our electrical needs. Traditionally thought of as a cheap and clean source of electricity, most large hydro-electric schemes being planned today are coming up against a great deal of opposition from environmental groups and native people.

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Wind Energy

Wind power is a vast resource of clean, reliable cost effective electricity. Electricity generated from the wind does not contribute to global warming and acid rain. As part of an electrical system which has a diversity of sources or significant storage capacity, wind turbines can be a valuable source of low cost electricity. The amount of electricity supplied in the future by wind turbines will depend upon the costs of wind power compared to other sources of electricity and the value that society places on reducing atmospheric pollution, rather than the ultimate size of the wind resource. All ...

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