California to Burn More Fossil Fuels as Hydropower Dam Runs Dry

California will increasingly rely on fossil fuels to keep the lights on this summer after a major hydroelectric dam ran dry amid the historic drought.

State officials said Thursday that falling water levels at Lake Oroville’s Edward Hyatt Powerplant will force it to shut down for the first time ever since it was completedin 1967.

The hydroelectric plant was designed to produce as much as 700 megawatts although it has averaged between 100 megawatts and 400 megawatts, according to the California Department of Water Resources, which manages the dam. Power production from the facility has dwindled in ...