Introduction

=** Introduction ** =



 * Hydro-electric power, or HEP, is an alternative, renewable energy source that uses water flowing down a hill/dam to turn a turbine and generate electricity. This source of energy is considered renewable as it is dependent on the Earth's water cycle, which is a 'closed system'. Hydroelectricity is the most commonly used renewable energy source world wide. In Canada, hydroelectricity accounts for the country's largest source of electric power generation. During the 19th Century, hydroelectricity was generated through the use of small-scale, mostly privately owned water wheels and turbines intended to directly supply electricity to agricultural machinery. Soon after Thomas Edison developed 'Direct Current' (DC) electricity generators, hydroelectricity was formally introduced in the 1880s as an energy source capable of catering to entire populations.**


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