The Golden State typically relies on hydroelectric power for 15 percent of its electricity generation. However, because of the extreme drought conditions currently impacting about 60 percent of the state, that number is expected to drop to 8 percent this summer. As of last month, Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake, two of California’s largest sources of hydroelectricity, had reached “critically low” water levels.
What will put a big dent in California’s electricity production this summer?
Answer: The drought.
Shutterstock/isabel kendzior
Guys, the drought is bad out in California, just in case you somehow didn’t already know. Like, really bad.
The Golden State typically relies on hydroelectric power for 15 percent of its electricity generation. However, because of the extreme drought conditions currently impacting about 60 percent of the state, that number is expected to drop to 8 percent this summer. As of last month, Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake, two of California’s largest sources of hydroelectricity, had reached “critically low” water levels.
For residents, this will mean higher electric bills and increased air pollution during the coming months as the state turns to natural gas to make up the gaps in hydroelectricity. The state is expected to see a 6 percent increase in carbon dioxide emissions from energy generation. Drought, of course, doesn’t stop at the state line, and surrounding jurisdictions like Oregon and Washington are also feeling the effects. The western U.S. as a whole is expected to see a 5 percent increase in electricity prices this summer as a result.
The Golden State typically relies on hydroelectric power for 15 percent of its electricity generation. However, because of the extreme drought conditions currently impacting about 60 percent of the state, that number is expected to drop to 8 percent this summer. As of last month, Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake, two of California’s largest sources of hydroelectricity, had reached “critically low” water levels.
