Hydropower & water scarcity | Facing up to water fears


Hydropower has a crucial part to play in the energy transition, but the impacts of changing water availability is beginning to affect worldwide production


Right: Unprecedented drought in the Po River in Italy during the summer of 2022 affected hydropower production © MikeDotta / Shutterstock.com


Above: Verdon River in France during drought in August 2022 © Lena Romanova / Shutterstock.com


Below: Boundary Dam on the Pend Oreille River in Washington, US is one of Seattle City Light’s hydropower dams and provides almost half of the utility’s power generation


THE IMPACT OF WATER SCARCITY on hydropower supplies is being witnessed across various regions of the world. In August 2022 power rationing was initiated by the government of Sichuan in China when drought led to reductions in reservoir levels and hydropower generation, bringing production to a two-week halt in energy intensive industry. Whilst in Europe, hydro generation in Italy, France and Portugal fell by over 11,200GWh during the first half of the year when compared with previous years. Recent research also shows that climate driven changes in drought have the potential to disrupt hydro-dependent electricity systems. Focusing on the Western US, Qiu et al reported in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that reduced hydropower production during extreme drought conditions can lead to electricity generation from individual fossil fuel plants increasing up to 65%, mainly to compensate for hydro shortages. Indeed the US’ Pacific Northwest is described as facing unique challenges with regards to the management of its reservoirs and hydropower systems, with states such as Washington recording more rainfall when it doesn’t need it and less when it does. Such a predicament is facing electricity company Seattle City


Light. The utility’s hydropower reserves are peaking earlier in the year, widening a summer gap in resources when there’s insufficient water to generate much needed electricity due to hotter summers driving air conditioning energy demands up. Consequently City Light has had to resort to sourcing power from elsewhere, which is proving to be expensive – so much so that last October it announced a 4% rate hike to customers to replenish more than US$70 million it had eaten up in its emergency reserves. Adaptation and diversification are now necessary, the utility says, and it is relying more heavily on wind and solar power to make up for the gaps in its summer reserves. Despite December precipitation being 113% above normal in at the end of 2023, the hydropower generation outlook across the Pacific Northwest was still described as remaining below normal in February 2024. The current water year (running from October to September) has been mostly drier and warmer than normal which hasn’t been good for building snowpack reserves. As snowpack usually peaks in April across the region, there is still hope that it can catch up. Dalles Dam on the Columbia River is located on the


Oregon and Washington borders and described as being a barometer for hydro conditions in the region. For April- September 2024 water supplies at the dam are forecast as being 2% lower than a year ago at 79% of normal. In January 2024 inflows into the dam were 14% less month on month and almost 30% down on the past three years.


Canada powers on In Canada, BC Hydro experienced a record year of


drought in 2023, with historically low water levels at many of its reservoirs. Although the utility reported later in December that rainfall events had refilled many of its smaller hydro facilities in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island, its larger reservoirs in the north and southeast of the province were still below normal levels. However when extremely cold temperatures spread


cross the province in January 2024, driving up peak hourly electricity demand to a record high, power imports were not required, and BC Hydro also had enough generating capacity to provide support to its


22 | April 2024 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


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