|
|
The amount of electricity a hydro power installation can produce depends on the quantity of water passing through a turbine (the volume of water flow) and on the height from which the water falls (the amount of head). The greater the flow and the head, the more electricity produced. There are different types and sizes of hydro power installations in Canada, ranging from micro hydro plants that provide electricity to only a few homes to mega-installations, such as Churchill Falls in Labrador which produces enough power to light three cities the size of Montreal. Hydro power provides an opportunity to meet Canada's increasing energy needs, provide recreational uses, steady sources of water for drinking, forestry operations, and irrigation without substantially increasing greenhouse gas emissions, or increasing air emissions, smog or acid precipitation. However, there are impacts of building dams that must be considered.
|
