California Turning to Solar Amid Decade-Low Hydropower
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California, expecting the lowest hydroelectric generation in a decade, will lean on solar and natural gas-fired power to get through spring and summer months when demand typically peaks.
Hydropower capacity will probably drop to the “extreme” low of 4,628 megawatts during this summer’s peak season, down 40 percent from 2014 levels, the state grid manager California Independent System Operator Inc. said on Tuesday. The ISO is scheduled to release its final summer forecasts within the next couple of weeks. The 10-year average for hydro supply is 8,180 megawatts.