This is complicating the transition to green energy
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskThe current drought is the driest 22-year period the south-west has seen in 1,200 years, according to a paper in. On August 16th, when the federal government announced another round of water cuts for Nevada and Arizona, 86% of the West was at least “abnormally dry”, and half of the region was experiencing severe to exceptional drought .
The drying of the region is wreaking havoc on more than just agriculture and ecosystems. The West’s energy infrastructure is also under threat. The dams at many big reservoirs generate hydropower, which for decades provided reliable, renewable energy. About 32% of America’s renewable energy came from hydropower in 2021, 44% of which was generated in California, Oregon and Washington.
But as the water levels in the West’s reservoirs decline, so too does the use of hydropower. A recent analysis by researchers at, found that hydropower projects in the American West were among the most vulnerable in the world to increased water scarcity.Some places are already feeling the effects. In 2021 California shut down a power station at Lake Oroville, one of the state’s largest reservoirs, when water levels fell below what is needed for electricity generation.
The loss of hydropower is no small matter. The power grid is already strained, and demand for energy will only increase as devices from stoves to cars go electric. Officials hope they will eventually be able to replace lost hydropower solely with other renewables and energy storage. But the short-term solution is dirtier. California’s hydropower generation has fallen by 62% since 2019. The state is burning more natural gas to help make up for it.
The term “dead pool” will join “megadrought” on the lips of Americans in the summer of 2023, as some reservoirs approach the level where they can no longer send water downstream, let alone generate electric power. A lack of water has long shaped the West. But the future looks increasingly dry.This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition of
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