couldn't we solve our nations energy crisis by dedicating one river in this country to energy supply?

Question

i mean, to hell with the enviroment on this river, pack it with hydro plants..they are efficient and can really supply power...just one river, could this work?

Answer 1

The problem with hydro power isn't the environmental impact, but that you need a specific set of geographical features to make it worthwhile.

Simply putting a turbine blade in a flowing stream isn't enough. Water flow is dependent on many variables, such as the time of the year and the amount of rainfall. The generation of electricity must be constant, or else the homes and businesses which depend on the power will go dark except at certain times of the year. That would be unacceptable to anyone who buys power, as it should.

To counter this problem, a huge amount of water must be collected and saved so that it can be used to generate electricity at a generally constant rate, with a bit more being generated during peak use times on any particular day. This means that a dam must be constructed, and a resrvoir of water allowed to fill up behind it.

These reservoirs must have some very specific geographical features or else it simply will not work. There must be a deep valley, constrained by hills on all sides, so the water will actually collect and not simply flow off in another direction and form another river.

The river which will provide the water for the reservoir must be big enough, and have enough water flowing through it, or else you could wait decades before enough water is trapped to be useful.

Another aspect is that the river channel downstream must be deep enough so it can handle surges of water during peak electrical generation times without overflowing it's banks and killing people in a flood.

There are a variety of other factors that must be right before a river can be used for power generation, but I think you get the idea. The best answer to your question is that just about every single site in the United States that is suitable to generate hydro power has already been dammed and is being used today. There just isn't anything else we can do that isn't already being done.

James

Answer 2

No. If this could have worked it would have been done by now. Other problems are associated with reliability. If you have one source of power, then you have one failure to cripple the nation. You have to diversify in economics as well as other places to reduce risk. There are other issues. The energy is simply not enough. The way to get the energy all over the country is difficult. There are losses over distance. You just heat a bunch of wire and surrounding air. It is an engineering nightmare worse than New York City's sewer system at half-time on Superbowl Sunday.

Answer 3

"My Kingdom isn't a mundane kingdom. If it have been, my followers might combat to maintain me from being exceeded over to the Jewish leaders. yet my Kingdom isn't of this international." John 18:36 (for sure you're lots greater suitable study than believers, your lack of expertise stands out like a sore thumb)