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木匠正在田納西州道格拉斯水壩 (Douglas Dam) 上頭工作：水壩幫助水力發電廠從奔流的河水取得更多水力
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世界第一座水力發電廠於1882年9月30日開始運作了
不同於愛迪生的紐約電廠用蒸汽來推動發電機，愛波頓發電廠使用狐狸河的自然能源來發電。當電廠開始運作時所產生的電力，足夠提供羅潔斯的家、發電廠本身，以及附近建築物所用。現在的水力發電廠則能夠產生更多的電力。在20世紀初期，這些水力發電廠所產生的電力已經佔全美國所需能源的很大一部分。這種便宜的電力也刺激全美各地工業的發展。為了從奔流河水中取得更多水力，政府開始建築水壩。
Unlike Edison's New York plant which used steam power to drive its generators, the Appleton plant used the natural energy of the Fox River. When the plant opened, it produced enough electricity to light Rogers's home, the plant itself, and a nearby building. Hydroelectric power plants of today generate a lot more electricity. By the early 20th century, these plants produced a significant portion of the country's electric energy. The cheap electricity provided by the plants spurred industrial growth in many regions of the country. To get even more power out of the flowing water, the government started building dams.
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