[factoryrat]

Hydroelectric power is the original form of solar power, and it has the ability to store energy for later use. I live near the Mc Nary dam that’s on the Columbia river on Oregon, and for about a 100ft. drop in elevation, they can generate close to a gigawatt of power, including spillover and operating the locks and fish ladders. Oh, and this dam was built in the 1950’s. Smaller dams, all tied to the grid and controlled remotely, could easily beat anything windmills can turn out.

[cripplecreek]

A lot of the dams in this country were once local power producers but the big electric companies bought them up and decommissioned them for centralized power production. My great grandmother's brother was a switchkeeper who maintained several small dams and their generators till they were decommissioned in the 40s and 50s.

Here is the study I mentioned upthread about the dams in Ann Arbor.

HYDROELECTRIC REDEVELOPMENT ARGO AND GEDDES DAMS FEASIBILITY STUDY (pdf)