Dams have been used as sources of hydroelectric power for many years. In 2006, the body of the largest hydropower plant in Yichang, China was completed. By October 2008, the original plans for the dam were complete with 32 generators working to generate power. Additional turbines were added to the original plans and should be ready no later than 2011. From October 2008 to September 2009, the plant produced enough power to cover almost 1/3 of the total cost of production with almost 350 terawatt hours of electricity. . but what is the price that local people and ecological systems have to pay for this energy?
Flooding caused by damming of the Three Gorges River caused more than a million people to lose their homes. Local ecological systems are being damaged and destroyed and the risk of landslides has increased dramatically. Still, the dam remains the most productive hydropower plant in the world. Damage to local ecosystems defeats the purpose of producing alternative energy.
Ultimately, the world needs the energy that water can generate, but destroying the Earth in the process is not an ecological option. In addition to the damage created by the dam itself, substations and power lines need to be installed to bring the energy created to the people who can use it. This results in an even larger carbon footprint on earth.
The United States, Canada and British Columbia are learning from this type of destruction. Micro hydroelectric plants are currently the focus of attention in these countries. Microsystems may provide a fraction of total production, but the local environment is preserved.