hydroelectric power, Electricity produced from generators driven by water turbines that convert the energy in falling or fast-flowing water to mechanical energy. Water at a higher elevation flows downward through large pipes or tunnels (penstocks). The falling water rotates turbines, which drive the generators, which convert the turbines’ mechanical energy into electricity. The advantages of hydroelectric power over such other sources as fossil fuels and nuclear fission are that it is continually renewable and produces no pollution. Norway, Sweden, Canada, Brazil, and Switzerland rely heavily on hydroelectricity because they have industrialized areas close to mountainous regions with heavy rainfall. The U.S., Russia, and India get a much smaller proportion of their electric power from hydroelectric generation. Although hydroelectric power supplies less than 20% of its total energy needs, China is the top producer of hydroelectric power overall, and its Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric facility in the world. See also tidal power.
