Hydroelectric Energy

Utah’s energy production has transformed from 94% coal in 2000 to 46% today. Investments in natural gas and renewables have been responsible for that change.

The river outlet pipes inside Glen Canyon Dam are getting a $9 million repair job, but conservation groups want to see more permanent changes at Lake Powell.

The money comes from a $1 trillion infrastructure law Biden signed in 2021. Officials will meet with tribal leaders to discuss clean energy projects at a summit in Southern California that begins Tuesday.

The hydropower company Nature and People First had proposed a "pumped storage" project in the Black Mesa area. Indigenous advocates are celebrating the decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

There’s been an increase in hydropower projects across the U.S., including on different tribal reservations. But some advocates say tribes like the Navajo Nation aren’t being consulted enough about their development.

The proposal announced Monday isn’t final. It calls for cities, irrigation districts and Native American tribes to accept federal money — and in some cases volunteer — to use less water over the next three years.

The Interior Department's news analysis considers two different ways to force cuts to Arizona, Nevada and California. The two options mean varying impacts for cities, farms and people living in the Southwest.

As drought and steady demand shrink the Colorado River and Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam faces an existential threat. It's a rare example of the Southwest's water crisis made visible.