Hydroelectric power is generated by capturing the kinetic energy or motion in free-flowing or falling water, waves, currents or tides, and converting it into electric current. The Massachusetts Class I Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) differentiates between hydroelectric power, which captures energy from flowing freshwater with or without the use of a dam structure; ocean thermal, wave or tidal energy, which is strictly derived from marine resources including differentials in ocean water temperatures (“ocean thermal”); and marine or hydrokinetic energy, which encompasses both categories but excludes facilities that dam or impound the flow of water. Read more.
Metropolitan Area Planning Council