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Water in a key California reservoir will drop so low this summer that its hydroelectric power plant will be forced to shut down for the first time since it was inaugurated, officials said Thursday to CNN , which will overload the state power grid, already stressed by the extreme heat wave.
Relentless drought and record heat, both exacerbated by climate change, have caused the water supply in Northern California’s Lake Oroville is depleting rapidly.
As a result of the “alarming levels”, officials will likely be forced to shut down the Edward Hyatt Power Plant for the first time since it opened in 1967 , California Energy Commission spokeswoman Lindsay Buckley told CNN.
Lake Oroville reservoir in California water level is currently 699 feet and falling ~ 5 inches a day. At 640 feet the generating station will be turned off. pic.twitter.com/MwfA25 dVNQ
– Paul Kedrosky (@pkedrosky) June , 2021
The water in Lake Oroville, the second largest reservoir in the state, is pumped through underground facilities to generate electricity, which can power up to 800, 000 homes when operating at full capacity.
Although the water level in the reservoir is currently around 700 feet above sea level, if it continues to fall at the currently projected rate at 640 feet, there will not be enough water to continue operating the Hyatt plant in two to three months, coinciding with the typical peak of summer heat and wildfire season.
“If lake levels drop below those elevations later this summer, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will, for the first time, cease generation at the Hyatt power plant due to lack of enough water to power the plant’s power generation turbines. ” said Liza Whitmore , DWR Oroville Field Division Public Information Officer.
Newsom declares an emergency in California
The announcement came when California Governor Gavin Newsom , declared Thursday a statewide heat wave emergency , with record temperatures and increased electricity use adding pressure to the power grid.
“In me In the wake of a major heat wave that is stressing power grids in the western states of the United States, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an emergency proclamation to release additional energy capacity, ”Newsom’s office said in a press release. .
The governor’s statement, citing “extreme danger” of safety to residents due to the heat wave, suspends permitting requirements for allow immediate use of backup power generators, to help relieve stress on the state’s power grid.
California’s power grid have asked residents to cut power through Friday, electricity use is at its peak .
Reducing energy use during this rush hour of the day will help prevent unnecessary outages. power outages and power line damage, state officials previously said.
As of . % of the electricity of the state.
Hyatt power plant is the fourth largest producer of hydroelectric power Largest in the state , according to the state’s energy commission. Due to the already low water supply in Lake Oroville, the plant’s production has been reduced to % of its total capacity and officials have relied on other facilities to avoid major power outages to homes and businesses, Whitmore said.
A similar situation was developing at the Hoover Dam, which forms Lake Mead , the largest reservoir in the United States and produces enough electricity for nearly 8 million Americans, where record water levels have reduced energy capacity by approximately 25%.
They urge to save water too
In addition to encouraging energy saving measures, officials across the state urge Californians to reduce their water use as much as possible during the hot summer months ahead.
Recommend reducing water use by taking shorter showers, fixing leaks at home, planting tolerant trees to drought and reducing irrigation of domestic landscapes. Some officials in Northern California have already taken a stricter approach by declaring a water shortage emergency and issuing mandatory water restrictions which are punishable by fines for non-compliance.