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A typical hydroelectric plant's operators can bring it from a stopped condition to full power in just a few minutes. Wind farms are variable, due to the natural variability of the wind. For a wind farm, the capacity factor is determined by the availability of wind, the swept area of the turbine and the size of the generator. Transmission line ...
As of 2025, plans exist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the construction of a hydroelectric power station set to overtake the Three Gorges, [3] with an installed capacity of 39,000 MW. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] The Project is called Grand Inga and is planned to be realised on the lower Congo River . [ 6 ]
Hydropower (from Ancient Greek ὑδρο-, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a water source to produce power. [1] Hydropower is a method of sustainable energy ...
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity, maximum effect or gross capacity, [1] is the intended full-load sustained output of a facility such as a power station, [2] [3] electric generator, a chemical plant, [4] fuel plant, mine, [5] metal refinery, [6] and many others.
In 2021, hydroelectric power produced 31.5% of the total renewable electricity, and 6.3% of the total U.S. electricity. [2] According to the International Hydropower Association, the United States is the 3rd largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world in 2021 after Brazil and China. [3] Total installed capacity for 2020 was 102.8 GW.
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity , almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, [ 1 ] which is more than all other renewable sources combined and also more than nuclear power . [ 2 ]
The largest hydroelectric power station is the Three Gorges Dam in China, rated at 22,500 MW in total installed capacity. After passing on 7 December 2007 the 14,000 MW mark of the Itaipu Dam , the facility was ranked as the largest power-generating facility ever built.
There are also small and somewhat-mobile forms of a run-of-the-river power plants. One example is the so-called electricity buoy, a small floating hydroelectric power plant. Like most buoys, it is anchored to the ground, in this case in a river. The energy within the moving water propels a power generator and thereby creates electricity.