Posted on 06/19/2021 2:16:43 PM PDT by blam
One of California’s most critical hydroelectric plants is at risk of closing for the first time in five decades as water levels continue to sink.
A megadrought and scorching heat, both worsened by La Nina weather effects, have depleted some of the water supply at Northern California’s Lake Oroville. The lake’s current water levels are hoovering around 700 feet above sea level, but if 640 feet is breached, then officials “will likely be forced to close the Edward Hyatt Power Plant for the first time since it opened in 1967,” California Energy Commission spokesperson Lindsay Buckley told CNN.
The lake’s record low is 646 feet, and the state’s Department of Water Resources expects that level to be observed in August.
Earlier this month, at least 130 houseboats were evacuated from the lake as water levels continued to drop. As a result, any lower and boat ramps would be inaccessible.
Further, if the Hyatt plant closes, hydroelectric generation for the state’s grid would be affected. At full capacity, the plant can power up to 800,000 homes.
Lake Oroville Hyatt Powerplant
“If lake levels fall below those elevations later this summer, DWR [California Department of Water Resources] will, for the first time, cease generation at the Hyatt power plant due to lack of sufficient water to turn the plant’s electrical generation turbines,” said Liza Whitmore, Public Information Officer of DWR’s Oroville Field Division.
Before & After
2019 Lake Oroville
2021 Lake Oroville
Closure of the plant would mean the state’s power companies would have to source electricity from elsewhere to fill the void.
Lake Oroville is also a natural attraction that sees at least a million visitors visit each year. Without visitors enjoying boat parties, wakeboarding, or relaxing in the sun, the local economy could take a severe hit as it attempts to recover from the virus pandemic.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide heat wave emergency Thursday, with much of the state experiencing record-setting temperatures and high energy usage straining the grid.
“Amid a major heat wave that is stressing energy grids in states across the western United States, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an emergency proclamation to free up additional energy capacity,” Newsom’s office said in a press release.
The good news is that Oroville won’t experience a spillover crisis anytime soon as drought ravages the region. Nevertheless, the federal government could soon declare the first-ever water shortage in the coming months, which would prompt cutbacks in water usage for several western states.
But they have WIND and SOLAR...savior power supplies for sure!
So no worries!
/s
In June of 2019 the Reservoir was FULL to the Top with a 5 year supply, some certified lunatic at the State Science Institute DRAINED all the Reservoirs to try and save a few Salmon and some non native delta smelt. I posted the article recently.
PS,
ALL of our Reservoirs were FULL to the Top, with an easy 5 year supply, now ALL ARE EMPTY
This summer’s looking to be rough, in many ways.
I remember the FR threads when the Oroville dam got overloaded and began to fail.
Oh...well...I guess California will have problems getting power. You may not be able to get power for your air conditioning but the power you aren’t getting will be “clean”
Gives them time to fix the f’n spillway.
To think...
They had so much rain 4 years ago they could not let water out fast enough.
Remember what the bible says about droughts!
Oroville is a red enclave in Calif. Do u think they care?
Yep, And if Lake Mead doesn’t get some water pretty soon they will have to shut down Hoover dam because they will not be able to supply both power, and all the water southern Ca is wasting. This would be a disaster of epic proportions.
There are more important uses for the water.
Smelts and darters (bait fish) all over the world are celebrating this victory over EVIL human beings
This the article? Or maybe similar. CA is so screwed because of their voters.
If California is Facing a Rare Mega-Drought, Why is the State Releasing Water from Reservoirs
“What AccuWeather didn’t say is that the state has been letting water out of reservoirs across California for months now. And it’s not going to farmers, growers, ranchers or urban use. Environmental policy says the water “flows” from reservoirs are necessary to produce a rebound of endangered Delta smelt and Chinook salmon.”
California got to point fingers at Texas for about 10 seconds. Bottom line MOST of us paid normal bills in winter and, while higher than temperate CA, are much less now we are here in Summer. And unlike CA that continues to let it slide how bad LADWP and its brethren are, they are all but in the torches and pitchforks stage here in TX.
California is committing suicide, and this is just one piece of proof in evidence.
Is it murder by gaslight? Have Californians been brainwashed into this?
Inquiring minds want to know. . . . . . . . .
Live in a desert, vote for Dems and eco terrorists, this is what you get. Enjoy.
How long will it take to get a nuke plant up and running to run a desalinization plant? Forever with their regs. So, call Jane Fonda and ask her to stop using her hair dryer.
Drought fear is one of their tools for control. Like Climate Change fear, Covid fear, white supremacist fear.
If we truly fear drought we can make new reservoirs quite easily.
But the same people pushing drought fear pushed environmental damage fear to halt building dams.
It seems that planners 60 and 70 years ago built California infrastructure for their needs, and the needs of the state will into the future.
The marxists were given a long runway of 60-70 years to use up and burn down what was gifted to them, and now they are nearly at the end of the runway.
Texas and Oklahoma will be glad to sell them our dirty energy, of course (understand that it will only be the excess, and the states are having their own electric problems). Of course, the dilemma is that the “Greens” who control California are not going to like that, and would prefer all of their folks to live in dark, hot houses for the summer.
They shoulda kept those nukes......
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