...drought that has impacted our hydroelectric power generation, says LaVerne Kyriss, spokeswoman for Western Area Power Administration, a Dept. of Energy agency that markets and delivers power in 15 states.
A five-year drought has drained Lake Powell in Arizona to 43% of capacity, reducing the hydraulic head entering Glen Canyon Dams turbines by 30%. Further up the Colorado River, Lake Mead is at 55% capacity, reducing peak hydroelectric generating capacity at Hoover Dam by 15%.