Bearak, M. (2023, May 2). Is It a Lake, or a Battery? A New Kind of Hydropower Is
Spreading Fast. Retrieved August 15, 2023, from
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/05/02/climate/hydroelectric-power-energy.html
The traditional way of hydroelectric is turning into a new system called pump storage. It uses the same gravitational qualities of water just without dams. China has become one of the leaders in overall renewable energy and using this system is one of the big reasons why. China has as well stopped financing coal projects that will then cut off the burning of fossil fuels. Pump storage is the newest and most efficient way to get hydroelectric power. There is another one called run-of-river which as the name shows is mostly used on rivers. The only issue that can arise from using these hydroelectric processes is if there is an environmental disruption. Besides that, they are an efficient way of gaining energy naturally.
I think that it is recently one of the most efficient ways to naturally gain energy and China is do9ng a great job with who they are approaching it. I also think that if the amount of these that are being built are affecting the atmosphere with fossil fuels, they should cut down on the production and or try to make a more non fossil fuel efficient way for it to work. I also think that using gravity as a part of the process is a very smart and efficient idea. Gravity is one of those things that can be very helpful in situations like there as well as have very very little to no downsides at all. Using gravity as a part of the process helps with having to use energy to get that water where it needs to go.
Cooper- This is really interesting to me. China has the world’s largest dam, and probably thousands more. Of course we want them burning less fossil fuels, but dams have huge issues too. Did the article say how “Run of the River” and pump storage are different than traditional dams? If they can figure out how to make dams less destructive to the local env. it has to be a good thing. But you are right, in general it can take an enormous amount of fossil fuels to build clean energy contraptions. Definitely a paradox there.
I do not believe so but I might have missed that in the article. And yes, it can and will take tremendous amounts of fossil fuels to create these systems of clean energy.