With summer’s peak electricity demand season looming, officials who oversee California’s power supply say they don’t expect blackouts but are getting nervous about the meager snowpack. Few states rely on hydro as much as California, where water accounts for about 15 percent of the total power supply in a normal year.
“We are certainly concerned,” said spokeswoman Stephanie McCorkle of the Independent System Operator, which runs the California transmission grid. “We do not have a forecast for blackouts this summer as a result of the drought. It doesn’t mean we’re not keeping a close eye on it.”
Officials at Sacramento Municipal Utility District and PG&E said they don’t anticipate shortages, and energy experts believe the drought’s impact is likely to be felt in terms of cost. While there should be enough power to go around, it could become somewhat more expensive.
The reason is that some utilities this summer will likely have to resort to more electricity from natural gas-fired plants, which is considerably more expensive.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/04/6125877/drought-cuts-into-states-hydro.html
