California prepares for energy shortage

If severe drought conditions continue, California can only generate half its normal hydroelectric power, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a blog post Wednesday. That increases the risk of blackouts across the state, especially in the summer months as residents turn on air conditioners. In normal conditions, the state gets about 15 percent of its total power from hydroelectric dams, but in another drought year, it will likely get about 8 percent and have to buy from other states. The shortages are also expected to hike electricity costs.

What else will be affected? The state usually gets about half of its water for the year between January and March, but this year was the driest since 1985. After three years of drought, the two largest reservoirs are critically low. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California declared a water shortage emergency in April. It voted unanimously to limit outdoor watering to once a week starting Wednesday, which represents about half of all water use in California cities.

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report in WORLD Magazine about how young Christians approach the climate change debate.