Severe drought is wreaking havoc on hydropower in California, risking outages

Published



States across the West are at risk of electricity shortages because an extreme drought is crimping the amount of water used to generate hydropower, a dominant energy source in that part of the country.

About half of the total utility-scale hydroelectricity generation capacity in the United States is concentrated in Washington, California, and Oregon, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.