What is greatest environmental cost of hydroelectric power?

Destruction of free-running rivers and their ecosystems

On disadvantage of hydroelectric power is the cost. Another disadvantage of using hydroelectric power is finding a water source powerful enough to harvest hydroelectric power.

The cost is the difference of thousands of families without jobs

Yes, hydroelectric could power a city. The issue with most green energy sources is cost and inability to obtain uninterrupted power on demand. Hydroelectric does not have these limitations. It does have some negative environmental impacts, just as all energy sources do.

It may cos around 100 MWh

Hydroelectric power plants generate very little electric current for the cost of building, using, and maintaining the equipment used to produce it.

After the initial cost of construction, you get lots of power, essentially for free, in perpetuity.

Linda Lorraine May has written: 'Economic and environmental trade-offs in Washington small-scale hydropower evaluation' -- subject(s): Cost effectiveness, Environmental aspects, Environmental aspects of Water resources development, Hydroelectric power plants, United States, United States. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Water resources development

Wind turbines generate energy using wind power. This does not affect the surrounding environment, therefore their environmental cost would be minimal.

$300 million dollars to build hydroelectric dam......

Lester A. Pelton is the person who invented the Pelton wheel which led to the use of low-cost hydroelectric power. The world's first hydro power plant was built by H.J. Rogers

In general, hydroelectric power generation is much cheaper than plants using fossil fuels. In the second attached link, it is stated that the average operating cost for a hydroelectric plant is around six cents per kilowatt while an fossil fuel power plants operating cost average is above 2 cents per kilowatt.

It costs lots of money.

Investment Cost - USD 2,291/kw Variable O & M - USD 0.00249/kwh Fixed O & M - USD 13.93/kw

There is usually a large one off initial capital outlay, for example to build a dam. After that the electricity produced is almost zero cost. Try adding upkeep, maintenance and various wages to that zero cost.

The actual cost of producing power will vary from power plant to power plant with one of the main variables being the size of the plant. For example, since it could take many people to operate and maintain such a small one unit generator as it would to operate and maintain two larger generators, the cost of operation and maintenance per kilowatt produced would be higher for the smaller plant. In general, the larger the hydroelectric plant, the cheaper one would cost per kilowatt to produce the electricity. When compared to other means of producing electricity, hydroelectric production costs run only about one third those of either fossil-fueled (coal or oil) or nuclear power plants, and is less than one fourth the cost of gas turbine electricity production. The main contributing factor for the difference in this cost of production is the fuel costs for the other means of producing electricity. The original plant cost for a hydroelectric plant is somewhat cheaper than either fossil fuel or nuclear plants.

Answer A small home use Hydroelectric turbine costs about 5,000 if you want a good turbine and 2,500 dollars if you want a cheap but not efficient turbine.

Ask a tax payer, they can help you with a monthly statement.

Karine Nyborg has written: 'The ethics and politics of environmental cost-benefit analysis' -- subject(s): Estimates and costs, Cost effectiveness, Environmental protection, Environmental policy, Political ethics

Jan Keppler has written: 'Full cost pricing' -- subject(s): Cost effectiveness, Costs, Electric power production, Electric utilities, Energy industries, Environmental aspects, Environmental aspects of Energy industries, Externalities (Economics), Greenhouse gas mitigation, Pricing, Rates

HYDROMATRIX is a new concept of hydraulic energy generation, which combines the advantages of proven technology and low cost installation and which is easily integrated into existing dam structures or weirs. Since no new civil structures are needed, the HYDROMATRIX technology enables customers to install hydroelectric power plants at far more competitive costs and with minimal environmental impact compared with conventional plants.

One of the disadvantages of using water or hydroelectric power is that is gives off a good deal of carbon dioxide as well as methane. Other disadvantages of hydro power are the cost to install the dams and turbines, and the fact that they destroy the habitat around the installations.

It costs about 0.7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity

Cost a ton of money and takes a long time to build it.

Joseph J. Seneca has written: 'Environmental economics' -- subject(s): Cost effectiveness, Environmental policy, Environmental protection