The prolonged drought in California may lower the state’s summer time electrical energy era from hydropower almost in half in contrast with regular precipitation circumstances, in accordance to an evaluation by the US Vitality Info Administration (EIA). EIA’s evaluation signifies that hydropower would produce 8% of California’s electrical energy era in a drought yr, in contrast with 15% underneath regular precipitation circumstances.
EIA expects that stage of lower in hydropower era would result in an 8% enhance in California’s electrical energy era from pure fuel, a 6% enhance in energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions within the state, and a median 5% enhance in wholesale electrical energy costs all through the West given the present system configuration.
Determine 1 information supply: US Drought Monitor, collectively produced by the Nationwide Drought Mitigation Middle (NDMC) on the College of Nebraska-Lincoln, the USA Division of Agriculture, and the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Graph courtesy of NDMC.
Determine 2 information supply: US Vitality Info Administration, Electrical Energy Month-to-month
California has a various electrical energy gasoline combine and is very interconnected with the regional electrical grid, however our research exhibits {that a} important lower in hydropower era this summer time may result in larger electrical energy costs, amongst different results.
—EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis
Hydropower is usually the third-largest supply of electrical energy in California, however electrical energy era from hydropower is very reliant on snowpack that varieties within the winter season. California’s snowpack was above regular as of December 2021, however it was 40% under regular ranges by 1 April of this yr.
EIA analyzed six of California’s hydropower services, representing 22% of the state’s hydropower capability, to develop its supplemental outlook.
