Hydro Tasmania mainly generates electricity from water (hydropower) and wind. Both types are generated mechanically, through moving parts. In our generators, huge magnets are turned inside massive coils of wire, creating an electric current. The magnets are turned by a turbine, and the turbine is turned by the force of either water or wind.
Because the force turning the turbines doesn't get depleted when its used (i.e. the water returns to the lakes and rivers, and the wind keeps on blowing), it's called renewable energy.
Hydropower uses a large amount of water, which flows down pipes into a power station. Gravity pushes the water down the pipes or canals at high pressure - forcing the turbine to turn and generate electricity.
In wind power, the wind spins the turbine blades, which in turn, spins the magnet. In Tasmania, we're fortunate to have wind from the roaring 40s - prevailing westerly winds that circle the Earth’s high southern latitudes.
The basics for water and wind power are similar. But there are some important differences: