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A large-scale California hydroelectric power plant was shut down Thursday after ongoing drought conditions reduced water levels in Lake Oroville to historically low levels, according to the Sacramento Bee.
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Why is this important: This is the first time that the Edward Hyatt hydroelectric plant has ceased operations since its construction in 1967, as California warns of the potential for blackouts.
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The plant feeds from a reservoir at Lake Oroville in Butte County, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in northern California, and has the capacity to supply nearly half a million homes , according to the Bee.
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But the lake is less than a quarter full – surpassing its all-time low set in 1977 – amid the state’s ongoing water crisis.
What they say : “This is just one of the many unprecedented impacts we are experiencing in California due to our climate-induced drought,” Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, said in a statement.
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“DWR anticipated this moment and the State anticipated its loss in the management of water and the network,” the statement added.
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“Falling reservoir levels are another example of why it’s so essential that all Californians conserve water. We call on everyone to take action now to reduce water use by 15%, so as to preserve the storage water supply as much as possible if we were to experience another dry year. We are all in there.”
The big picture: California Governor Gavin Newsom (R) asked households this summer to voluntarily reduce their water consumption.
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It also declared a regional state of drought emergency in 50 of the state’s 58 counties, where more than 40% of Californians live.
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These conditions have significantly affected power generation, reported Ben Geman of Axios.
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