So, are dams good or bad? It is a popular question and one that has attracted a lot of attention from scholars and engineering professionals. The scholarly consensus suggests that most mega dams with giant reservoirs entail tremendous social and environmental damage, and that paying the full cost to remediate these impacts would render them less profitable than alternative forms of energy. However, such conclusions do not fit all dams and do little to dissuade those engineers, politicians, and citizens convinced that the widespread benefits of electrification are worth some social and environmental sacrifices at reservoir sites.