World's Second-Largest Hydropower Dam Goes Live In China

The 289-metre (948 feet) high Baihetan Hydropower Station is second in the world only to the country's Three Gorges Dam in terms of power generation.

China began operating the world's second-largest hydropower station on Monday in what officials hailed as a milestone towards Beijing's carbon neutrality goals, despite warnings of environmental damage. The 289-metre (948 feet) high Baihetan Hydropower Station in southwest China, second in the world only to the country's Three Gorges Dam in terms of power generation, began partial operation Monday morning, state media reported. Baihetan was built with a total installed capacity of 16,000 megawatts, which means it will eventually be able to generate enough electricity each day once to meet the power needs of 500,000 people for an entire year, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The country has been on a hydropower building spree in recent years as it races to meet the ever-growing energy needs of the world's largest population.