hydroelectric

Everyday

1. Hydroelectric means making electricity from moving water, usually water rushing down from a dam through turbines. tree →
2. A hydroelectric power station or dam is a place where this happens. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography lessons it is a kind of renewable energy: water held behind a dam falls and spins turbines, which turn generators. Famous examples are the Hoover Dam in the USA, the Three Gorges Dam in China and many stations in Norway, New Zealand, Canada and Tasmania. Lessons weigh pros (clean, steady) and cons (flooded valleys, harm to fish). Phrases: «hydroelectric power», «hydroelectric dam», «hydroelectric scheme».

Examples

• Hydroelectric power uses falling water to make electricity. tree →
• Much of New Zealand's electricity is hydroelectric. tree →
• The hydroelectric dam flooded the valley behind it. tree →
• Water spins the turbines inside a hydroelectric power station. tree →
• Hydroelectric energy is renewable because rain refills the rivers. tree →
• Building the hydroelectric scheme meant moving a whole village. tree →
• Norway gets most of its electricity from hydroelectric stations. tree →

Note

Adjective; the short informal noun is «hydro» («powered by hydro»). One word, sometimes with a hyphen. Renewable does not mean harmless: dams can harm fish and flood land. In energy problems, the higher the water falls and the more water flows, the more electricity it can make.