hydroelectric power

10 Stories

Hundreds Missing, Feared Dead After Laos Dam Gives Out

More than 6K people have been left homeless after reported collapse of Xepian-Xe Nam Noy dam

(Newser) - Hundreds of people are missing, more than 6,000 have been left homeless, and an unknown number are thought dead after a portion of a still-under-construction hydroelectric dam in Laos' Attapeu province reportedly collapsed Monday night, per the AP . The country's KPL news agency, via the BBC , reports that...

In Pacific NW, an 'Intensifying Guerilla Warfare' Over Bitcoin

Mid-Columbia Basin's space, hydroelectric power has made it top site for bitcoin mining in US

(Newser) - You'd think any old region would do for a bitcoin mining business : Just set up a computer, solve a bunch of sophisticated math puzzles, and start raking in that sweet virtual currency. But as Paul Roberts' deep dive on Politico notes, that kind of computer power can require "...

Germany Basically Had to Pay People to Use Electricity Sunday

Thanks to a new high-water mark in renewable energy

(Newser) - Germany hit a new milestone in renewable energy on Sunday, generating so much power at one point that customers were essentially being paid to turn on their lights or charge their phones. Quartz reports that around 1pm Sunday, about 87% of the power being used in Germany was coming from...

Pact Signed for 'Biggest Dam Removal in History'

Dams at Klamath River are closer to coming down

(Newser) - What may be the world's biggest-ever dam removal is closer to happening in Oregon and California after years of talks—and without approval from Congress. Both states, federal officials, and the utility PacifiCorp are among those who agreed on April 6 to remove four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath...

Brazil Tribes Grab 'Burial Ground' Dam Workers

Hostages freed as Indians demand reparations

(Newser) - A group of 300 Brazilian Indians from eight tribes have freed some 100 dam workers that were held hostage for over 24 hours in an action protesting construction of a dam over an ancient burial ground. The Indians—wearing war paint and brandishing bows and arrows—encircled the dam site...

Chavez Declares Electricity Emergency

Venezuelan leader blames drought, capitalism for shortages

(Newser) - Hugo Chavez has declared a state of emergency, giving his government extra powers to deal with chronic electricity shortages. The Venezuelan leader announced measures including a 100% surcharge on electric bills that show a 10% increase in usage. Chavez warned that the worst drought in decades has hit hydroelectric production...

Bad Weather Blamed for Brazil Blackout

60M affected after wind, rain knock out transmission lines

(Newser) - Heavy rain and strong wind last night caused blackouts that left nearly a third of Brazilians—60 million people—in the dark, officials said today as they scrambled to restore confidence in the country's infrastructure before soccer's 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. The weather made transformers on a...

Millions Without Power in Brazil

Problems at huge hydroelectric dam spread beyond border

(Newser) - Trouble at the world’s largest hydroelectric dam has millions in Brazil without power tonight. Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro—the nation’s largest cities, with combined metropolitan populations well beyond 20 million—are affected, as are many smaller towns. An official at the Itaipu dam tells the BBC...

Dam May Have Triggered China Quake

Weight of water may have triggered the earthquake early

(Newser) - The damming-up of 320 million tons of water in a reservoir above a geological fault line may have contributed to the earthquake that left 80,000 dead or missing last year in China’s Sichuan province, US and Chinese geologists say. Whether or not the scientists are right, the suggestion...

Lake Mead May Vanish by 2021
Lake Mead May Vanish by 2021
Feb 13, 2008 3:24 AM CST

Lake Mead May Vanish by 2021

Hoover Dam's vital source of water and power under threat

(Newser) - Lake Mead, the giant man-made lake behind the Hoover Dam and a major source of water for millions of people, is rapidly drying up, reports Live Science. A new study predicts a  50% chance the lake will be too low to produce hydroelectric power by 2017, and a 50% chance...

10 Stories