Hydropower’s Impacts on Rivers

Dam owners would like us to believe that hydropower is a “clean” technology. The truth is that outdated dams hurt rivers.

Imagine that someone built a power plant that set your heater to 97 degrees year round, randomly cut off all of your water for hours or days on end, and placed a giant impassible wall through the center of your home, making it impossible for you to get to the kitchen or your bedroom.

Would you call this clean energy?

All power generation – including energy generated from renewable sources – impacts local ecosystems and communities. There is a tendency, however, to turn a blind eye to these impacts and treat all renewable technologies as unconditionally good because they do not emit greenhouse gases. Renewable power must be sited, designed, and operated in a manner that also protects the local ecosystem.