Washington State Commits to Micro Hydropower Dams
Micro Hydro Dams to Supply WA State with Hydro Power-
Last year, Snohomish County Public Utility District in Washington State purchased a miniature hydropower dam – measuring 6 feet long and 35 feet wide – which provides renewable energy> to hundreds of homes near Monroe. The project was so lucrative that the public utility has elected to construct more micro hydroelectric dams throughout
the district in upper reaches of streams and creeks. The group has said they would like to build as many as ten new dams in the next ten years to help supply a significant and reliable source of green energy to the neighboring area. This fall, the committee plans to assemble another small dam near the city of Sultan. If the hydropower dam is as successful as its predecessor, the utility’s endeavor may sprout a record rise of new dam production by a sole utility in the U.S. in a number of years. This is according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, who issues the dam licensing. Utility officials assert that the dams will have little to no effect on fish or water quality and express that it is imperative to this nation that we explore all green energy resources. Steve Klein, Public Utility District GM, states, “This region is blessed with natural resources: streams and creeks as well as tides and volcanic activity. It only makes sense to tap into them for energy.” Klein expresses,” The tides go on forever, the streams flow forever and the heat of the earth is virtually limitless.”
However, the construction of new hydropower dams in Washington is not as easy as it sounds; environmentalists, fisherman and local tribes are struggling to get the already present dams in the area removed and communicate utmost disapproval with the public utility’s proposed endeavor. The argument for these ecoists is that – although previously built dams produced excellent communal benefits – they have also dried out numerous rivers, hindered salmon runs, and polluted spawning grounds, making it challenging for many native fish to survive. “Even small dams can harm the environment”, states Darcy Nonemacher, member of the national conservation group of American rivers. “There is a tendency to call them small hydro, or micro hydro, but that can be greenwashing for the hydro industry,” Nonemacher said. Nevertheless, there are ways to lessen the effect on migration patterns and wildlife habitats, such as retrofitting dams with fish ladders and fishways to help fish migrate upstream to spawn. With a capacity of more than 90,000 megawatts, the United States is the world’s leading hydropower producer. This alternative power source supplies 9 percent of the country’s electricity and accounts of 49 percent of all green energy consumed in the U.S. Whatever your standing on the issue of hydroelectric power, it is much better to see renewable energy resources being put to good use in terms of easing the effects of climate change.
(21 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Dams are not a green energy source and should not be considered as such, no matter how small (or micro) the dam really is, it is not green. Thermal pollution, and disrupting the natural flow of any river/ stream will eventually change the ecology of the surrounding areas,hence it shouldnt even be considered a viable source of power
I disagree, Beavers have been building Dams for a 1,000 years and life moved on. So maybe its time for you to move on and accept micro-dams, beavers and fish likem, so you can too. 100 homes were powered, sounds good to me.
I would also argue that -no- energy generation source is without some impact. Micro and small scale hydro do have impacts. But, when compared to other sources such as coal, oil, or nuclear….you get my point.
Do not believe that because I have drawn this comparison that I do not believe environmental concerns are not legitimate (no matter how small an impact).
However, base-load will become an ever increasing issue as we seek to solve problems like global warming and our energy needs.
Micro and small scale hydro are a piece to the energy puzzle and deserve genuine consideration.
Pragmatically Yours,
Michael
I do believe that hydroelectric dams are green. In my history and science class, my teachers have combined a Washington State project. Each student is assigned a dam and use for it. I got McNary Dam and Hydropower. Hydropower is a clean, safe and renewable resource. The dams cause NO pollution and provide an everlasting energy source. Hydropower is 49% of our country’s energy source. Doesn’t going green mean being good for the Earth? hydroelectric dams don’t give out harsh pollutions and use the water source they’re in to make electricity. Using what you have that’s natural, water, and not giving back harsh fumes, pollution, is what going green is about. Right?
State-supported hydro electric power usually destroys the ecosystem in among the last places where its thrives… Though that may not be the case with USA, with its low population density, it definitely is the case at other places.
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I feel that every energy source has a problem, along with some beneficial parts. People who talk about dams being a horrible destroyer of ecosystems, are partially right but being that the US is mainly powered on coal. What is worse in your opinion? Flooding in a minor region, or ripping the top of a mountain off in order to access some coal which causes massive ecosystem damage in the area that it is in. As far as I see it, the dams illustrated here have a lesser impact than the their larger scaled counterparts. To also state the obvious, but dams before this had to be placed in rivers, not they can be in creeks and are easily maintainable. I would also like to mention that some of the drawbacks of having a dam of that size can also be good for the animals in the area are going to be benefited more then the downfalls.
dams are pointless let the water flow free
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