Hydroelectric Power Seen Expanding 15% From Upgrading U.S. Dams

[Dead_Parrot]

Hmmm.

Overhauling dams built for flood control and irrigation may generate 12 gigawatts of electricity in the U.S. without carbon emissions, increasing water power capacity 15 percent, the Energy Department said in a report.

Agency researchers analyzed 54,391 of the more than 80,000 dams in the U.S. that now lack equipment to produce power, compared with 2,500 that generate electricity, according to the report released today by the agency.

Expanding hydroelectric capacity can “help diversify our energy mix, create jobs and reduce carbon pollution nationwide,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.

President Barack Obama has set a goal of producing 80 percent of the U.S. electricity from clean-energy resources by 2035. Using existing dams to increase hydroelectric power is quicker and cheaper than building dams, according to the report.

More: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-17/hydroelectric-power-seen-expanding-15-from-upgrading-u-s-dams.html

[mopinko]

1. duh.

after someone thinks of it, that is.