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September 11, 2020 

In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that electricity generation from hydroelectric power plants in the United States will grow by 4% in 2020 from 2019 levels, to 280 billion kilowatt hours, despite current drought conditions and extensive wildfires in parts of the country, including in the Pacific Northwest.

States in the Pacific Northwest, home to the Columbia River Basin, are the largest hydroelectric power producers in the United States. Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, the four states that make up the Pacific Northwest, generated 47% of all U.S. hydroelectric power in the first half of 2020. As such, drought conditions in these states can have noticeable impacts on overall U.S. hydroelectric generation, especially if the drought is severe or long lasting. Read more