Glen Canyon Dam Could Stop Producing Hydropower

A piece by Jonathan Thompson highlights the crisis facing Lake Powell, which, as Planetizen has previously amplified, has reached its lowest level since Glen Canyon Dam was first constructed. “In March, Lake Powell’s surface level dropped to within 33 feet of the minimum needed to generate hydropower, for the first time since it was filled in the 1960s. If — or when — it hits that critical point, the Southwest power grid will lose one of its biggest electricity generators, as well as an indispensable backup power source.”

“Over the last few months, federal officials have attempted to stave off the power plant’s obsolescence by increasing releases from upstream dams and by sending less water downstream. But that failed to buoy reservoir levels, so now they have embarked on an effort to install turbines river outlet tubes lower on the dam, which would allow hydroelectricity generation to continue below minimum power pool — for a while.”

At full capacity, Glen Canyon Dam produces 1,300 megawatts of power. “In the 1990s, the dam produced as much as 7,000 gigawatt hours per year, enough to power nearly 600,000 homes. Last year, it was down to just 3,000 gigawatt hours.” Losing the power generated by the dam would increase costs, particularly for tribal nations. “The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s yearly power bill could jump by as much as $1.3 million, according to a 2016 consultant’s study, and nine other tribes would also see significant cost increases.”