California drought could impact hydropower generation in state
The extended drought in California could significantly impact energy generation from hydropower in the state, according to an analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Specifically, EIA officials said the drought could cut the state’s summer electricity generation from hydropower nearly in half compared with normal precipitation conditions. To put a finer point on it, EIA said hydropower would produce 8 percent of California’s electricity generation in a drought year, compared with 15 percent under normal precipitation conditions.
Hydropower is typically the third-largest source of electricity in California, but electricity generation from hydropower relies on snowpack that forms in the winter season. California’s snowpack was above normal as of December 2021, but by April 1, it was 40 percent below normal levels.
The decrease in hydropower generation would result in an 8 percent increase in California’s electricity generation from natural gas and a 6 percent increase in energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the state. Further, it would result in a 5 percent increase in wholesale electricity prices throughout the West, given the current system configuration.
“California has a diverse electricity fuel mix and is highly interconnected with the regional electric grid, but our study shows that a significant decrease in hydropower generation this summer could lead to higher electricity prices, among other effects,” EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis said.
In its analysis, EIA looked at six of California’s major hydropower facilities, which represent 22 percent of the state’s hydropower capacity.
