It seems as though hydropower is becoming less dependable as a result of reports of low water levels at a few significant hydroelectric plants in the West over the past few years.

The Edward Hyatt Powerplant in California had to be shut down last summer because water levels in Lake Oroville, the reservoir that supplies the plant, fell below the intake pipes that carry water to the turbines. Water levels in Lake Powell, the reservoir that feeds the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona, fell to unprecedented lows in March, prompting warnings of a potential plant closure in the near future.

These reports are concerning since hydropower—which may supply 30% of the West's yearly electricity needs in a wet year—is a significant source of carbon-free energy. However, a recent investigation by researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory calls into question the notion that hydropower's position as the foundation of the electrical grid is dwindling. The scientists examined the historical record to determine how droughts in the 20th and 21st centuries had an impact on the western hydropower fleet. What they discovered demonstrates that hydropower is more dependable than people may realise, even during a severe drought, and that reality is more complex than people may realise.

According to Sean Turner, a hydrologist and water resources engineer who is also one of the study's authors, 'I think the misperception about hydro is driven by these headline cases like Glen Canyon and the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.' 'Those are incredibly large and important facilities, but they only make up a tiny portion of the entire Western hydropower fleet, which includes hundreds of plants spread out across the entire western region and contributes to a connected electricity grid. You must research the entire system.

The Western hydropower fleet maintained 80% of its average annual output even through the worst droughts of the past 20 years, which is equivalent to the combined output of all other renewable energy sources in the region. The fact that there is climate diversity despite the West's well-known climate volatility is the reason you obtain this dependability.