Lake Powell officials face an impossible choice in the West’s megadrought: Water or electricity

[Loulit01]

The situation is critical: if water levels at the lake were to drop another 32 feet, all hydroelectricity production would be halted at the reservoir’s Glen Canyon Dam.

The West’s climate change-induced water crisis is now triggering a potential energy crisis for millions of people in the Southwest who rely on the dam as a power source. Over the past several years, the Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16 percent of its capacity to generate power. The water levels at Lake Powell have dropped around 100 feet in the last three years.

Bryan Hill runs the public power utility in Page, Arizona, where the federal dam is located, and likens the situation to judgment day.

“We’re knocking on the door of judgment day – judgment day being when we don’t have any water to give anybody.”

Lake Powell officials face an impossible choice in the West's megadrought: Water or electricity

Lake Powell, the country's second-largest reservoir, is drying up.

www.cnn.com

Fake news!

 

[coyote505]

Water is first for drinking. Hydropower can be replaced by fossil fuel, nuclear, solar etc. Folks used to subsidized power will have to get used to market rates. They will also have to get used to the idea of diversified power sources, even if they are not all Green. It's called Grid Reliability.

 

[bongsaway]

The situation is critical: if water levels at the lake were to drop another 32 feet, all hydroelectricity production would be halted at the reservoir’s Glen Canyon Dam.

The West’s climate change-induced water crisis is now triggering a potential energy crisis for millions of people in the Southwest who rely on the dam as a power source. Over the past several years, the Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16 percent of its capacity to generate power. The water levels at Lake Powell have dropped around 100 feet in the last three years.

Bryan Hill runs the public power utility in Page, Arizona, where the federal dam is located, and likens the situation to judgment day.

“We’re knocking on the door of judgment day – judgment day being when we don’t have any water to give anybody.”

Lake Powell officials face an impossible choice in the West's megadrought: Water or electricity

Lake Powell, the country's second-largest reservoir, is drying up.

www.cnn.com

Fake news!

Anyone who has paid a touch of attention to the water issue in the west knew this day was coming. Have we prepared for it, of course not, putting off essential stuff is what we do best as a society.

I understand a desalination plant is expensive, is it more expensive than people leaving a geographical area for lack of water? No water, no crops, no water, hellacious forest fires like we've never seen, no water, no life. Why we haven't lined the california coast with desalination plants is beyond me. Oh yeah I forgot, it's because of the costs to build one. So I guess death valley will be expanding its borders? Funny thing, we've managed to put desalination plants on boats and ships for our military.