Long-Distance High-Tension Transmission of Power in California

Scientific American | May 16th, 1903

In the vast developments of electric power and its transmission California is fast solving the problem of cheaper fuel and power. The remarkable development that has o

In the vast developments of electric power and its transmission California is fast solving the problem of cheaper fuel and power. The remarkable development that has occurred in the long-distance high-tension transmission of power as well as the approximate magnitude of the transmission industry is directly traceable to the absence of coal in material quantities in this State and the corresponding high price of mechanical power. The great cost of steam power at the time of earliest efforts toward electric transmission was responsible for the turn of the California tide of engineering effort from the coal pile to the waterfall as the most promising source of energy whence to operate the rapidly growing electrical industries of the Golden State.

Management of the Colorado River: Water Allocations, Drought, and the Federal Role

Congressional Research Service (CRS) | April 4th, 2024

From its headwaters in Colorado and Wyoming to its terminus in the Gulf of California, the Colorado River Basin covers more than 246,000 square miles. The basin spans sev

From its headwaters in Colorado and Wyoming to its terminus in the Gulf of California, the Colorado River Basin covers more than 246,000 square miles. The basin spans seven U.S. states (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California) and two countries (the United States and Mexico). Pursuant to federal law, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), a component of the Department of the Interior (DOI), plays a prominent role in the management of the basin’s waters. In the Lower Basin (i.e., Arizona, Nevada, and California), Reclamation also serves as water master on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, a role that elevates the status of the federal government in basin water management. The federal role in managing Colorado River water is magnified by the multiple federally owned and operated water storage and conveyance facilities in the basin, which provide low-cost water and hydropower supplies.

Near-term Colorado River Operations Revised Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | October 26th, 2023

Reclamation is proposing to revise the 2007 Interim Guidelines for the operation of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams beginning in the 2024 operating year to address the potent

Reclamation is proposing to revise the 2007 Interim Guidelines for the operation of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams beginning in the 2024 operating year to address the potential for continued low-runoff conditions in the Colorado River Basin. The potential impacts of low runoff conditions in the remainder of the interim period (prior to January 1, 2027) pose unacceptable risks to routine operations of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams; therefore, modified operating guidelines should be expeditiously developed. Due to size, this file has been divided. Part one, Part two.

Passage and Flow Considered Anew: Wild Salmon Restoration Via Hyrdo Relicensing

University of Montana | May 24th, 2016

Paying it Forward: The Path Toward Climate-Safe Infrastructure in California

Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group | September 1st, 2018

Petition for Extension of Time to Perfect Conditional Water Rights Under the State Water Project Permits (SWP) 16478, 16479, 16481, and 16482 for Water Supply and Permits 16477 and 16480 for Hydropower Operations

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 21st, 2025

Click here for DWR press release and related correspondence.

Click here for DWR press release and related correspondence.

Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 77) Draft Application for Surrender of License and Application for Non-Project Use of Project Lands

Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) | January 27th, 2025

Click here for a California State Water Resources Control Board page about FERC Project 77 Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) has prepared a Draft Surrender

Click here for a California State Water Resources Control Board page about FERC Project 77 Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) has prepared a Draft Surrender Application and Conceptual Decommissioning Plan (Surrender Application) for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC or Commission] Project No. 77) (Project) consistent with 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section (§) 6.1. PG&E’s goals upon conclusion of the decommissioning process are to (1) remove the Project facilities and features including but not limited to Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam, (2) remove the Project from FERC and Division of Safety of Dams jurisdiction; and (3) no longer operate or maintain the Project and Project features in the future. Parts 1 and 2 -- Part one or click "Get Document" below Parts 1 and 2 -- Part two

Report Card for California's Infrastructure 2019

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | May 9th, 2019

Rise of Water Power in Electrical Supply

Scientific American | March 28th, 1903

Water power is destined to operate the greater part of electrical supply and street railways in North America. A large beginning in this direction has already been mad

Water power is destined to operate the greater part of electrical supply and street railways in North America. A large beginning in this direction has already been made. Electrical l oads are being transferred to water power faster than they are created and steam plants reduced to occasional use. Meantime development of the vast resources of water power on this continent is only in its initial stage.

Solar-power replacement as a solution for hydropower foregone in US dam removals

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | August 26th, 2019

There is a growing dam removal movement in the United States, driven in part by environmental, safety and cost considerations. These include electricity-producing hydro-d

There is a growing dam removal movement in the United States, driven in part by environmental, safety and cost considerations. These include electricity-producing hydro-dams, many of which are ageing and will require substantial maintenance or removal over the coming decades. However, hydropower has been and remains an important source of energy for the development of the United States, presently generating about 6% of the nation’s electricity while providing essential grid services. As a potential solution to the conflict between these imperatives, industrial-scale photovoltaics (PVs) could be used for replacement of the energy foregone from hydro-dam removals either by installing the PV infrastructure in the area formerly inundated by the dam reservoir or through offsite replacement. Presently, the total PV generation in the conterminous United States is 35,919 GWh yr−1, or approximately 13% of hydropower generation. On the basis of actual hydropower generation in the conterminous United States in 2016 (that is, 274,868 GWh yr−1), we estimated that 529,885 ha of PVs would be needed to replace the generation of all 2,603 hydro-dams—an area approximately equal to the land size of Delaware. PVs could replace the total annual energy produced from these dams while requiring only 13% of their existing reservoir area. If all the hydro-dams in the United States were removed and only 50% of the emergent land was used for PVs, 945,062 GWh yr−1 power could be generated, which is 3.44 times the current hydropower generation. These analyses are theoretical and do not consider costs, which would be highly site specific. Replacement by PVs without energy storage could not replicate the dispatchability and grid services provisions of existing hydropower facilities; however, improving battery storage capabilities may ameliorate this shortcoming. We suggest that PVs could replace much of the annual electricity output of hydro-dams in the United States while using substantially less land area and providing considerable environmental and ecological benefits.