Hydroelectric Power Plants
 |
Impound Hydropower Plant (Photo of Hoover Dam by John Gibbons on Unsplash) |
This method uses a dam to trap river water in a reservoir. "Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity."(Department of Energy, Types of Hydropower Plants). An example of an impoundment plant is the Hoover Dam in Nevada. |
 |
Diversion Hydropower Plant (Photo of Chief Joseph Dam by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) |
As the name suggests it diverts a section of a river into a canal leading to the turbines. It then allows the water to return to the river. An example of this plant is Chief Joseph Dam in Bridgeport, Washington. |
 |
Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant (Photo of Robert Moses Niagara Power Station by wikipedia creating user Busfahrer) |
It works by pumping water to an uphill reservoir during the off-peak hours. Then it releases the water back to the lower reservoir during peak hours of electricity use. An example of this plant is the Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Station in New York State. |