According to an article on ScienceDaily, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 … 125154.htm researchers at Columbia University conducted the first evaluation of evaporation as a renewable energy source and found that the U.S. lakes and reservoirs could generate 325 gigawatts of power. This surmounts to about 70 percent of what the U.S. currently produces. Here's how it works: An "Evaporation Engine" controls humidity with a shutter that opens and closes. As a result, bacterial spores expand and contract. The spores' contractions are then transferred to a generator that makes electricity. Evaporation as a source of energy could overcome the problems that come with solar and wind energy. For example, solar and wind power require batteries to supply power even when the sun isn't shining and wind does not blowing. Additionally, batteries are expensive and require toxic materials to manufacture. Contrastingly, evaporation could be generated only when needed, reducing the amount of batteries needed, therefore lessening the amount of hazardous waste produced. Furthe rmore, evaporation technology can also save water. Columbia researchers estimate that half of the water that evaporates from lakes and reservoirs during the natural cycle of water between land and air could be saved during the energy-harvesting process for evaporation. Their model shows that the process could save 25 trillion gallons a year, equating to about 1/5 of the water Americans consume. As a California resident, these findings are extremely intriguing to me because the state is drought-prone. Researches state that states with increasing populations and sunnier weather can best capitalize on evaporation's capacity to generate power and reduce water waste.