Environmental Aspects of Hydro Electric Generation
Advantages
- Using the energy of falling water to drive turbines and generators is one of the cleanest and most efficient methods of producing electricity from a natural resource.
- Hydro-electricity is generated by a renewable resource - water-which can be used over and over again.
- It is virtually instant. The Hydro is able to generate electricity within two minutes.
- The production of hydro-electricity does not release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
- The water used for hydro-electricity generation can be used for other purposes. eg irrigation and recreational activities such as fishing, boating and rafting.
Disadvantages
- Hydro schemes alter stream flows and change the environment, so these factors need to be considered and monitored. Dams do change the environment, but they also benefit people for their recreational activities, such as water skiing, bush-walking and fishing.
- The cost of installing a hydro-power station depends greatly on the site. It can cost more to build than a thermal station of the same capacity but the fuel is free, renewable, sustainable and clean.
Further notes
When evaluating the impact of the hydro-electric scheme, three things are assessed - these are biological impact, physical impact and people impact.
Physical
This sometimes involves changing a river into a lake. This is permanent and non-reversible. Disturbed environment due to roads and construction camps - reversible, now being rehabilitated. The new lake is a new sustainable eco-system and a beneficiary is the increased platypus/fish etc population.
Biological
Sometimes may include the loss of some plant communities, these can often be rehabilitated in a specific area.
People
In many cases in Tasmania there was little or no impact as there were no people living in the areas where power schemes were developed, however a positive impact is that now there is access for people to enter those areas and use lakes for recreational activities such as boating and fishing.
The Hydro has a very large environmental group comprised of scientists and specialists whose main role it is to monitor all of the catchment areas and ensure that the river systems remain as close to a natural system as possible.
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