How Cities Can Use Green Hydro Energy

Could cities actually save money by going green?  One company seems to think so.  Hydro energy is the newest thing being tested to supply power to entire cities, and so far it looks to be far less expensive than the current electricity being generated by fossil fuels, with none of the harmful emissions or environmental hazards.

The only thing a city would need to utilize hydro energy is a source of running water and hydro turbine generators.  Several sources could be used for inland cities, including manmade streams.  Hydro energy is a constantly renewable, free source of energy, too.  So far, it doesn’t cost anything to take advantage of natural running water sources.

Not only would hydro energy save cities a ton of money, it would save the residents of the city on their electric bills.  This could have a significant impact on a city’s economy.  If the residents are saving money on utility bills, they will be spending more with the local merchants.  It’s a cycle that benefits everybody from residents to government to large and small businesses.

So why aren’t more cities using hydro energy?  There are a few who have shown great interest in hydro energy sources for their city, Toronto and Ontario, Canada for example. But only long term plans for major US cities are just being discussed and not close to implementation.

Toronto has already implemented its first city renewable energy project using hydro energy of sorts.  Toronto is using the cooler water from the depths of Lake Ontario as an energy source to run the air conditioning in 51 of the city’s office buildings.  This project is effectively reducing carbon emissions by nearly 80,000 tons and reducing the energy consumption of air conditioning by 90%.

More large cities around the world should look into using hydro energy to reduce their electricity consumption, to save the cities money, to save money for the businesses and residents of the city, and to do their part in saving the planet.  If everyone who is concerned about any of these issues would write a letter to their city officials, they will almost be forced to at least look into hydro energy and providing green energy resources for your city.