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You would think that conservatives would tire of being on the wrong side of the issues pretty much all of the time. Apparently not. But hey, we're all fallible humans, right? But seemingly, even fallible humans can learn from their mistakes. Except for conservatives, that is.
No, conservatives will likely be denying climate change 50-100 years from now when coastal America is flooded, and we have wildfires in the dead of winter with low temperatures of only about 75 degrees, and our crops are all failing due to a lack of rain and too much heat, and people are trying to recycle their urine at home in an effort to have enough drinking water. My guess is no one will even listen to conservatives at that point, assuming that anyone is crazy enough to admit to being one.
At any rate, everyone is familiar with the concept of the double whammy, right? That's when two bad things happen that might very well be related in some way. Well, this qualifies except that it's more than just a DOUBLE whammy.
Yeah, not only are we losing sources of drinking water and water to irrigate our crops (I don't know about you, but I've gotten used to eating), but if the reservoir falls only another 60 feet during the West's current record heat wave days before summer has even arrived, CA will lose hydropower generation at this reservoir that would normally power hundreds of thousands of homes during the height of the summer heat which is also the peak of the wildfire season. Good times!
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Water in a key California reservoir will fall so low this summer that its hydroelectric power plant will be forced to shut down for the first time, officials said Thursday, straining the state's already-taxed electric grid.
An unrelenting drought and record heat, both worsened by the changing climate, have pushed the water supply at Northern California's Lake Oroville to deplete rapidly. As a result of the "alarming levels," officials will likely be forced to close the Edward Hyatt Power Plant for the first time since it opened in 1967, California Energy Commission spokesperson Lindsay Buckley told CNN.
The water in Lake Oroville — the state's second largest reservoir — is pumped through underground facilities to generate electricity, which can power up to 800,000 homes when operating at full capacity.
While the water level in the reservoir is currently hovering around 700 feet above sea level, if it continues to fall at the currently projected rate to 640 feet there will not be enough water to continue operating the Hyatt plant in two to three months, coinciding with the typical peak of the summer heat and wildfire season.
"If lake levels fall below those elevations later this summer, DWR will, for the first time, cease generation at the Hyatt power plant due to lack of sufficient water to turn the plant's electrical generation turbines," said Liza Whitmore, Public Information Officer of DWR's Oroville Field Division.
The announcement came as California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide heat wave emergency Thursday, with record setting temperatures and increased electricity use adding pressure to the grid.
"Amid a major heat wave that is stressing energy grids in states across the western United States, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an emergency proclamation to free up additional energy capacity," Newsom's office said in a press release.
The governor's declaration, citing "extreme peril" to the safety residents due to the heat wave, suspends permitting requirements to allow the immediate use of back-up power generators to help alleviate stress on the state's energy grid.
California energy grid officials have called on residents to reduce power through Friday, especially during the evenings when electricity use is at its peak. Scaling back on using power during this peak time of the day will help avoid unneeded rolling power outages and damaged power lines, state officials previously said.
www.cnn.com
No, conservatives will likely be denying climate change 50-100 years from now when coastal America is flooded, and we have wildfires in the dead of winter with low temperatures of only about 75 degrees, and our crops are all failing due to a lack of rain and too much heat, and people are trying to recycle their urine at home in an effort to have enough drinking water. My guess is no one will even listen to conservatives at that point, assuming that anyone is crazy enough to admit to being one.
At any rate, everyone is familiar with the concept of the double whammy, right? That's when two bad things happen that might very well be related in some way. Well, this qualifies except that it's more than just a DOUBLE whammy.
Yeah, not only are we losing sources of drinking water and water to irrigate our crops (I don't know about you, but I've gotten used to eating), but if the reservoir falls only another 60 feet during the West's current record heat wave days before summer has even arrived, CA will lose hydropower generation at this reservoir that would normally power hundreds of thousands of homes during the height of the summer heat which is also the peak of the wildfire season. Good times!
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A California reservoir is expected to fall so low that a hydro-power plant will shut down for first time
Water in a key California reservoir will fall so low this summer that its hydroelectric power plant will be forced to shut down for the first time, officials said Thursday, straining the state's already-taxed electric grid.
An unrelenting drought and record heat, both worsened by the changing climate, have pushed the water supply at Northern California's Lake Oroville to deplete rapidly. As a result of the "alarming levels," officials will likely be forced to close the Edward Hyatt Power Plant for the first time since it opened in 1967, California Energy Commission spokesperson Lindsay Buckley told CNN.
The water in Lake Oroville — the state's second largest reservoir — is pumped through underground facilities to generate electricity, which can power up to 800,000 homes when operating at full capacity.
While the water level in the reservoir is currently hovering around 700 feet above sea level, if it continues to fall at the currently projected rate to 640 feet there will not be enough water to continue operating the Hyatt plant in two to three months, coinciding with the typical peak of the summer heat and wildfire season.
"If lake levels fall below those elevations later this summer, DWR will, for the first time, cease generation at the Hyatt power plant due to lack of sufficient water to turn the plant's electrical generation turbines," said Liza Whitmore, Public Information Officer of DWR's Oroville Field Division.
The announcement came as California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide heat wave emergency Thursday, with record setting temperatures and increased electricity use adding pressure to the grid.
"Amid a major heat wave that is stressing energy grids in states across the western United States, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an emergency proclamation to free up additional energy capacity," Newsom's office said in a press release.
The governor's declaration, citing "extreme peril" to the safety residents due to the heat wave, suspends permitting requirements to allow the immediate use of back-up power generators to help alleviate stress on the state's energy grid.
California energy grid officials have called on residents to reduce power through Friday, especially during the evenings when electricity use is at its peak. Scaling back on using power during this peak time of the day will help avoid unneeded rolling power outages and damaged power lines, state officials previously said.
A California reservoir is expected to fall so low that a hydro-power plant will shut down for first time | CNN
Water in a key California reservoir is expected to fall so low this summer that its hydroelectric power plant will be forced to shut down for the first time, officials said Thursday, straining the state's already-taxed electric grid.
www.cnn.com
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