Hydroelectric power, 19th century artwork. This hydroelectric power station, which includes three smokestacks, was located in Lyons, France. The world's first hydroelectric power stations were built in the 1880s, with earlier industrial sites using water power alone rather than generating electricity. Engraving from 'Grands Hommes et Grands Faits de l'Industrie' (Great Men and Great Facts of Industry), published in France circa 1880.