Drought and lower water levels have halted hydropower generation at Lake Oroville in California for the first time ever. Lake Oroville is at 24 percent capacity and electricity cannot be generated at levels below 630-640 feet. State data show levels hit 642 feet in early August.
According to Politico, “Grid operators have been worried about blackouts this summer and have issued a half-dozen calls for voluntary conservation as temperatures have spiked and supplies have fallen due to transmission constraints and generation going offline.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has eased rules on fossil fuel use to allow for backup power in emergency conditions to avoid blackouts experienced during a heatwave last summer.
