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electrici_t wo <br />s Capacity is the maximum amount of electricity a generator can produce at one time. <br />For example, on an August evening, an average residential consumer may need 3 kW or .003 <br />} _ MW of electricity. Power plants must have enough capacity to produce an average of 3 kW of <br />electricity for every consumer plus additional needs of commercial and industrial customers. In <br />the West, one megawatt generally provides enough electricity for 400 to 900 homes. <br />Most of the nation's power comes from burning fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas. <br />" Unlike these thermal technologies, which exhaust the energy resource used, hydropower relies <br />upon an abundant and renewable energy source -- water. Hydropower Is typically produced at a <br />dam by converting the kinetic energy of <br />falling water into electricity. After run - <br />ning through the turbine, the water re- <br />turns to the river. Hydropower is the <br />3 leading renewable energy resource. It <br />provides a low -cost and efficient way of <br />producing electricity with no pollutants. <br />As much as 90% of the fuel flowing into <br />hydropower plants is converted into <br />electricity compared to 35% at traditional fossil fuel burning plants. It has <br />low operating costs and is very reliable. Hydropower also reduces depend- <br />ence on less environmentally sensitive fossil fuels. <br />Hydropower is key to system reliability of the power grid in the Hydropower helps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. <br />West. Power must be produced and delivered when it is needed. Baseload units, normally fossil fuel plants, provide the minimum <br />amount of electricity necessary to satisfy demand. They run continuously and take a long time to start up again once they are shut <br />down. When temperatures rise or drop and demand for electricity increases, peaking units, like hydropower, step in to compensate <br />Set <br />ng <br />3 <br />