Around the globe, hydropower plants generate nearly 24 percent of the world's electricity and supply over a billion people with power. The world's hydropower plants generates a combined amount of 675,000 megawatts , the energy equivalent of 3.6 billion barrels of oil, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. There are over 2,000 hydropower plants operating in the United States, making hydropower the country's biggest renewable energy source. The Enormous Power of Water Watching a river flow, it is amazing to know amount of force it drags along. Have you ever been water rafting, then you must have experienced a small bit of the water power. Rapids are created as a river,dragging along a huge quantity of water downhill,forcefully through a narrow passageway. As the river is forces it way through small opening, its flows rapidly. Floods are typical examples of the huge amount force a large volume of water can exert. Hydropower plants utilize w