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DSO Electric Cooperative Inc. | 201 Dakota Drive | Solomon, KS 67480 | PO Box 286 | 1-800-376-3533

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Hydropower

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  1. Renewables
  2. Hydropower

How hydropower works:

Hydropower is using water to power machinery or make electricity. Water constantly moves through a vast global cycle, evaporating from lakes and oceans, forming clouds, precipitating as rain or snow, then flowing back down to the ocean. The energy of this water cycle, which is driven by the sun, can be tapped to produce electricity or for mechanical tasks like grinding grain. Hydropower uses a fuel—water—that is not reduced or used up in the process. Because the water cycle is an endless, constantly recharging system, hydropower is considered a renewable energy.

illust_howworks.jpg

The Water (Hydrologic) Cycle

When flowing water is captured and turned into electricity, it is called hydroelectric power or hydropower. There are several types of hydroelectric facilities; they are all powered by the kinetic energy of flowing water as it moves downstream. Turbines and generators convert the energy into electricity, which is then fed into the electrical grid to be used in homes, businesses, and by industry.

Types of hydropower plants

There are three types of hydropower facilities: impoundment, diversion, and pumped storage. Some hydropower plants use dams and some do not. The images below show both types of hydropower plants.

Many dams were built for other purposes and hydropower was added later. In the United States, there are about 80,000 dams of which only 2,400 produce power. The other dams are for recreation, stock/farm ponds, flood control, water supply, and irrigation.

Hydropower plants range in size from small systems for a home or village to large projects producing electricity for utilities. The sizes of hydropower plants are described below.

Impoundment

The most common type of hydroelectric power plant is an impoundment facility. An impoundment facility, typically a large hydropower system, uses a dam to store river water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. The water may be released either to meet changing electricity needs or to maintain a constant reservoir level.

illust_howworks.jpg

An impoundment hydropower plant dams water in a reservoir.

Diversion

A diversion, sometimes called run-of-river, facility channels a portion of a river through a canal or penstock. It may not require the use of a dam.

photo_tazimina_small.jpg

The Tazimina project in Alaska is an example of a diversion hydropower plant. No dam was required.

Pumped Storage

When the demand for electricity is low, a pumped storage facility stores energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. During periods of high electrical demand, the water is released back to the lower reservoir to generate electricity.

Sizes of Hydroelectric Power Plants

Facilities range in size from large power plants that supply many consumers with electricity to small and micro plants that individuals operate for their own energy needs or to sell power to utilites.

  • Large Hydropower

    Although definitions vary, the Department of Energy defines large hydropower as facilities that have a capacity of more than 30 megawatts.

  • Small Hydropower

    Small hydropower facilities have a capacity of 100 kilowatts to 30 megawatts

  • Micro Hydropower

    A micro hydroelectric power system can produce up to 100 kilowatts.

illust_microhydropower.jpg

 

News & Updates

Thursday | May 1, 2025

Save Money - Sign Up for the Interruptible Rate

Do you want a lower electric bill? If so, then the interruptible rate may be right for you!
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Thursday | April 10, 2025

Highlights from 2024

Here is a recap of the noteworthy events at DSO in 2024.
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Monday | March 3, 2025

Wildfire Mitigation

Lately there has been a lot of discussion and news coverage on wildfires, especially in the western United States.
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Monday | February 3, 2025

ELECTRICITY IS STILL A GREAT VALUE!

Inflation, right???!!!  Miserable. Undeniable. Backbreaking Inflation.
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Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

DSO Electric Cooperative, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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©2025 DSO Electric Cooperative. All Rights Reserved.

  • About Us
    • Cold Weather Rule
    • Vision, Mission, & Core Values
    • Members Policies
    • Bylaws / Rules & Regulations
    • Cooperative History
    • Seven Cooperative Principles
    • Capital Credits
    • Rates
    • Forms
      • Auto Pay
      • Apply for Service
      • Budget Billing Plan
      • Light Outage Form
      • Prepaid Agreement
      • Request for Donation Form
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • Directors and Consultants
  • My Home
    • Why Is My Bill So High?
    • Energy Savings
      • Energy Saving Tips
    • Office and Payment Locations
    • Payment Options
    • Residential Budget Billing
    • Transfer Service
    • Smarthub Signup Instructions
  • My Business
    • Energy Saving Strategies
    • Sector Reports
    • Technology Applications
  • Outage Map
  • Products & Services
    • Co-op Connections Card
    • Air Source Heat Pumps
    • Geothermal Heat Pump
      • Heat Pump Rebates
      • Certificate of Installation
    • Water Heater Energy Efficiency Program
      • Water Heater Rebate
    • Compact Fluorescent Light
      • CFL Color
    • TESCO
      • Surge Suppression - Information Request
  • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Youth Programs
      • Youth Tour Information Request Form
    • Kansas Country Living
    • DS0 Scholarship Program
  • Renewables
    • BioMass
    • Geothermal Energy
    • Hydrogen
    • Hydropower
    • Solar Energy
    • Wind Energy
  • Safety
    • Education
    • Phone Scams
    • Safety
      • Electric Shock Safety
      • Energy Theft
      • Flood Safety
      • Generator Safety
      • Holiday Lighting Safety
      • Inside Safety
      • Outdoor Safety
      • Hot Weather Safety
  • 4KW Solar
  • Capital Credits
  • Contact Us