Hydro Power

Hydro Power is the harnessing of energy found in water. It comes in many forms.

Pre-Electric
Waterwheel

The waterwheel is for early starts. It can turn belts to provide energy to industrial age factories.

Post-Electric
Hydroelectric Dam

Dams come in many sizes, and get cheaper as time goes on. You click and drag across canyons to block rivers, then place generators inside to get electricity.

Tidal Barrage

A tidal barrage is a dam-like structure used to capture the energy from masses of water moving in and out of a bay or river due to tidal forces.

Instead of damming water on one side like a conventional dam, a tidal barrage first allows water to flow into the bay or river during high tide, and releasing the water back during low tide. This is done by measuring the tidal flow and controlling the sluice gates at key times of the tidal cycle. Turbines are then placed at these sluices to capture the energy as the water flows in and out.

This method is available from 1965 onward.

Tidal Stream Generator

A tidal stream generator, often referred to as a tidal energy converter (TEC) is a machine that extracts energy from moving masses of water, in particular tides, although the term is often used in reference to machines designed to extract energy from run of river or tidal estuarine sites. Certain types of these machines function very much like underwater wind turbines, and are thus often referred to as tidal turbines.

Hydrokinetic Turbine



Hydrokinetic Turbines are placed in rivers to catch the currents.

The Future
"Clam" Oscillating Wave Surge Converter



The OSWC or "Clam" as it is nicknamed, is a hinged flap connected to the seabed, which turns near-shore waves into electric energy. The Clam MkII is an improved version which connects directly to a hydro plant on the shoreline.

"Leviathan" Wave Energy Converter



The Wave Energy Converter is a train-sized "serpent" made of tubes connected by joints, floating on the surface of the water. By pressurizing oil inside of it using the power of the waves, it can drive a turbine and store the energy in batteries or send it to shore by a cable.

Dynamic Tidal Power



An incredibly large structure, hundreds of squares in length. By causing unnatural differences in tides, it would generate power similarly to a dam. Only available in the future, as in real life this method is only theoretical.

Wind Power
Offshore Wind Farm

Technically wind power, but due to high winds at sea, these wind generators can be built in shallow water.