Drought Killing Hydroelectric Plants

The historic drought plaguing the western United States is killing what was thought to be a renewable source of power: hydroelectricty. California has lost 60 percent of its hydropower in the last few years thanks to drying rivers. Production at the Hoover Dam, another major source of electricity in the west, is down 25 percent since 2000. As a consequence, many are turning back to older, dirtier sources of power like coal—ironically, ones scientists think may have advanced the drought.