For the first time ever, the Hyatt Powerplant at Lake Oroville has been taken offline, due to falling lake levels.
State water regulators said the Hyatt Power Plant has been taken down due to record low water levels. On Wednesday, Lake Oroville reached its all-time lowest recorded level at 642-feet above mean sea level. On Thursday, the lake is recorded at 641-feet above mean sea level. The DWR said it anticipated the powerplant to shut down and has been working with the California Independent Service Operator and the California Energy Commission. “This is the first time Hyatt Powerplant has gone offline as a result of low lake levels,” said Karla Nemeth, the agency director, in a prepared statement.
The plant typically powers about a half-million households, and this morning those homes are at risk of rolling blackouts during summer heat waves.