Drought Threatens Australia’s Hydropower Scheme

Australia’s biggest renewable electricity source, the Snowy Hydro power scheme, may have to shut down major generating turbines due to the nation’s crippling 10-year drought.

In a move that local authorities feared could reduce supply of power to the capital Canberra, and major cities Sydney and Melbourne, some of Snowy Hydro’s operations could be stopped by May-July without heavy winter rains, the Snowy Hydro said.
Snowy Hydro contributes around 3.5 percent of the power in Australia’s national electricity grid. If the shortage persists, it may be filled by electricity from coal-powered stations in the national grid, or by green sources from other areas.

The company said it was confident it would meet electricity and water commitments until the end of the year with the wettest winter months approaching, and following a cloud seeding programme and recycling at its biggest power station.

Planet Ark