You know Your Survival Guy is paying close attention to America’s nuclear renaissance. It’s not because I have some vested stake in nuclear power, or that I think it’s better than gas or coal. I’ve written about those fuels as well. But nuclear is reliable, and that’s more than can be said of any renewable power source.
You are no doubt well aware of the limitations of wind and solar power. If the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing, there’s no power being generated. But the most reliable form of renewable power, hydropower, has its own limitations, and those are being felt this year in the West. Trevor Fugita reports on the drought affecting Western reservoirs for FactSet, writing:
One striking example of this water shortage can be seen in the water levels at Lake Powell, home to the 1.3 GW Glen Canyon Dam. This August, water levels fell to under 3,520 feet above sea level, bringing the lake to its lowest point since the late 1960s. As a result, the lake is now closer than ever to its minimum power-pool level, at which point the facility would be unable to generate electricity. While it is still relatively far from this threshold, lower water levels still constrain the plant’s output, and this continuing trend has contributed to capacity factors dropping 10% so far this decade compared to 2010–2019.
Glen Canyon is not the only facility affected. Across the Western Interconnection, August hydro generation was down 8.4% year-over-year and 12.2% compared to the five-year average. Faster runoff has contributed to this falloff, as earlier snowmelt led to June hydro generation coming in 10.4% higher year-over-year, making the subsequent summer slump even more pronounced. There is little short-term upside in sight considering the dry winter mentioned previously and the fact that hydro generation typically declines between August and November. As a result, already low generation numbers this year could fall even further below historical norms.
Even hydroelectric power, which is far more reliable than solar or wind, is susceptible to nature’s fickle ways.
Action Line: One way you can shield yourself from some of the volatility of renewable power is by putting power away in your pantry, i.e., having battery backups. I want to hear about your power plan. Email me at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com. And click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
