U.S. Hydropower Generation Expected to Rise in 2025 Following Last Year’s Relative Low

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We anticipate U.S. hydropower era will improve by 7.5% in 2025 however will stay 2.4% beneath the 10-year common in our Might Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). Hydropower era in 2024 fell to 241 billion kilowatthours (BkWh), the bottom since a minimum of 2010; in 2025, we anticipate era might be 259.1 BkWh. This quantity of era would signify 6% of the electrical energy era within the nation.

About half of the hydropower generating capacity within the nation is within the western states of Washington, Oregon, and California, so we carefully monitor precipitation patterns on this area to tell our hydropower outlook.

Precipitation circumstances have been blended throughout the western United States since October. Based on the WestWide Drought Trackerextra precipitation than regular has fallen in northern California, Oregon, and the jap half of Washington state. Some areas in southeastern Oregon acquired report precipitation between October 2024 and April 2025. In distinction, precipitation was beneath regular in elements of Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Southern California.

Accumulation from winter precipitation tends to peak by April 1. The snowpack accumulation at larger elevations serves as a pure reservoir that melts step by step as temperatures rise within the late spring and early summer season, resulting in elevated waterflow by means of dams.

Northwest and Rockies

We anticipate hydropower era within the Northwest and Rockies area to be 125.1 BkWh, which is a 17% improve in contrast with 2024 and 4% lower than the 10-year common. Our hydropower forecast is knowledgeable by the water provide outlook from the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northwest River Forecast Center (NWRFC).

On Might 1, NWRFC launched its newest April–September water provide forecast for the Pacific Northwest, a part of the bigger Northwest and Rockies area as modeled within the STEO. The NWRFC forecasts the area could have a below-normal water provide in contrast with the previous 30 years within the northern portion of the basin, which incorporates the Higher Columbia River Basin, and above- to near-normal water provide within the southern portion, which incorporates the Snake River Basin. Water provide circumstances at The Dalles Dampositioned close to the mouth of the Columbia River on the border between Washington and Oregon, mirror these of the upstream Columbia River system. The forecast at The Dalles Dam as of Might 1 was 85% of regular for a similar interval.

California

We forecast hydropower era in California to be 28.5 BkWh in our Might STEO, which is 6% lower than final yr’s era. This whole could be 15% greater than the 10-year common.

As of April 1, reservoir levels in most main reservoirs in California had been above the historic common for this time of yr. The 2 largest reservoirs within the state, Shasta and Oroville, had been at 113% and 121% of the historic common, respectively. Based on the California Division of Water Sources, snowpack conditions as of April 1 had been at 118% of regular for the Northern Sierra Nevada, 92% for Central Sierra, and 83% in Southern Sierra Nevada areas. Hotter-than-normal temperatures in April led to some early snowmelt throughout the state. As of the start of Might, snowpack circumstances had been at 81% of regular for the Northern Sierra Nevada, 73% for Central Sierra, and 53% for the Southern Sierra portion.

Principal contributor: Lindsay Aramayo. Initially printed on Today in Energy.