Water plays a very important role in the creation of electricity in New Brunswick. Hydroelectricity, when the power of falling water is turned into electricity, has been used for hundreds of years and is one of the most efficient ways to produce electricity.

It's also good for the environment because it’s a renewable energy source that has little environmental impact and doesn’t emit greenhouse gases.

We currently have 7 hydro stations throughout New Brunswick, which makes up half of all of our generating stations. 

In a hydro station, water falls down a chute called the penstock and flows over the blades of a turbine. The falling water then turns the blades, which are attached to magnets by the generator shaft. The spinning blades turn these magnets, which creates electricity in the wire coils.

Here’s a video The Gaia Project helped us make on how the Mactaquac Generating Station works.