The West, Reliant on Hydro, May Miss It During Heat Waves

When California suffers a heat wave, it leans heavily on hydropower from the Pacific Northwest to keep the lights on.

But that hydropower may not always be available when it’s most needed, as climate change is shifting the ground on which the West’s dams sit. Higher temperatures means snowmelt occurs earlier in the year and leaves less water available for power generation during the depths of summer.