ABSTRACT
The role and importance of hydropower is growing in the United States and in many other countries since fossil fuels — oil, coal, and natural gas — are limited. Humans are relying on foreign producers of these fuels to meet much of their need. The United States has a total capacity of over 524 million kW by the combined production of hydropower and thermopower generation and produced over 2 trillion kWh of electricity in 1976. Most of their electricity comes from thermopower methods using fossil and nuclear fuels. The Corps is the nation's largest single producer of hydroelectricity. Corps hydroelectric energy production was 24% of the total US hydroelectric energy production and 3.3% of all electrical energy produced in the nation that year. Hydroelectric projects have environmental disadvantages, but the disadvantages are generally regarded as being more easily mitigated or more socially acceptable.
