Unusual Weather Shakes Up Hydropower Outlook in Western U.S.

May 12, 2023--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Californians and other residents of the western U.S. have endured heavy rainfall and, more unexpectedly, snowfall since the beginning of the year, but these unusual weather trends are proving a boon to California's hydropower market. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says record levels of precipitation in California and some parts of Oregon and Idaho in March partly negated the effects of extreme heat and dryness throughout the previous summer. However, some areas in the Pacific Northwest continue to suffer from the effects of below-normal precipitation and a weak water supply outlook.

Industrial Info is tracking more than $71 billion worth of hydropower projects across the western continental U.S. The EIA expects hydropower will provide 14% of California's power generation and 6% of generation in the U.S. Southwest, which covers parts of Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico in 2023; this represents an increase from 9% and 5%, respectively, in 2022.