Hydropower in western U.S. resurges after hitting 20-year low

Hydropower production in the western United States increased 13% in 2022, bouncing back after falling to a 20-year low the year before.

A long-lasting drought has been reducing the flow of water over dams, and the energy they produce, in much of the West.

With 145 large federal dams, Washington state is the nation’s leading producer of hydropower.

More snow and rain in 2022 fueled a 17% surge in power production in Washington, including a 19% increase at Grand Coulee Dam, the nation’s largest producer of hydropower.

Hydroelectricity generation at rivers in Oregon jumped 19% during the 2022 “water year” from October 2021 to September 2022.