Technology evolves so quickly, but using water as a source of energy has been a part of our history for quite some time. Records date water wheels back 2,000 years ago when Greeks used them to make flour from wheat. So how did hydropower evolve and will it have a thriving future?

The idea of turning water into electricity took off with the publication titled Architecture Hydraulique, which was written by Bernard Forest de Bélidor. This French military and hydraulic engineer paved the way for hydropower, because by the next century, water was used to power street lighting in certain states such as New York and Michigan. The world’s first hydroelectric power plant was located in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1882, and in the following four years, almost 50 hydroelectric plants were constructed in the U.S. and Canada. Needless to say, water power was a booming alternative energy source.

The year 1940 was maybe the most prosperous time for hydropower, because it was generating 40% of the U.S.’s electricity. However, due to the building costs and lack of land available for development, the creation of new reservoirs was halted by the end of the 20th century. So by 1989, hydropower was no longer at the top of its game.

Not until the beginning of the 21st century did hydropower start producing more electricity. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, hydroelectricity accounted for 36% of the electricity production in 2007, which was a 29% increase since 2006.

The technology of hydropower is still being improved for efficiency. The future holds many opportunities for hydroelectric development especially in oceans. Devices already exist to harness the power from tides, vortices, currents and ocean temperatures. These new strategies may even replace current hydropower structures. For example, due to the environmental drawbacks of tidal barrages, tidal lagoons might be an effective replacement.

It will be interesting to see how hydropower continues to evolve and develop, because it’s an effective renewable resource that has the potential to supply a large volume of electricity, which can help meet the U.S.’s increasing demand for energy.