Severe drought is wreaking havoc on hydropower in California, risking outages
by Josh Siegel, Energy and Environment Reporter |
| June 21, 2021 06:50 AM
States across the West are at risk of electricity shortages because an extreme drought is crimping the amount of water used to generate hydropower, a dominant energy source in that part of the country.
About half of the total utility-scale hydroelectricity generation capacity in the United States is concentrated in Washington, California, and Oregon, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Hydroelectricity generation typically varies based on precipitation levels, but California is being especially challenged by extreme heat and dry weather.
California officials have said its reservoir system has seen an unprecedented loss of runoff this spring due to a reduced amount of snowpack and precipitation feeding rivers and streams, according to the Wall Street Journal. Water levels at Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir, have fallen to 41% of capacity.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/drought-wrecking-havoc-on-hydropower-in-california-risking-outages
