attractive for hydroelectric development, that have the gradient that s suitable for that are the ones that we use for white water paddling. reporter: the one drawback to small dams? it also produces small amounts of electricity. this dam here, fewer than a thousand homes. i mentioned the grand cooley, 4.5 million homes powered by that dam. but if you add all these small dams up, it does make a dent in our energy needs. jon: dan springer streaming live. thank you, dan. jenna: we have some new econ numbers out showing even more americans are in need of jobs. one group having a tough time in particular, veterans back from afghanistan and iraq. we re live at an event meant to help all of our heros get back to work. we re live at the uss intricep bid just ahead. if congress really wants to balance the budget.
today another forensic expert on the stand. so how is all the scientific evidence going over with this jury? there is casey anthony live in the courtroom right now. a look at the jurors body language and what it may be telling us. also, a brand-new hydropower dam in the works, one that could have a major affect on our energy future because of the minimal impact it has on local wildlife. we are live with the story you can t see it, it s electric. you ve got to see this. it s electric. let me tell you about a very important phone call i made.
impact. now, you know, washington state gets about 75% of its electricity from dams. however, dam has become a four-letter word here because environmental groups have been very strong in opposing them and getting some of them torn down. but this mini hydro dam which i m standing on here will general mate electricity for thousands of homes generate electricity with little impact to the environment. the key is size and location on small rivers and creeks minimizing the impact on fish, mainly salmon, and that makes it truly green-powered. no carbon emissions, and here in the pacific northwest, of course, water is everywhere. it s a local resource, it s renewable, and, um, collectively if you do a number of these projects, it might add up to a good part of our energy needs. reporter: and the good news is that building a small dam, one of these micro dams, is actually cheaper, and you get more energy for the buck than you get in wind or solar power.