USA - The catastrophic drought that’s gripping the US West is claiming a new victim: the hydropower dams that much of the region depends on for electricity supplies. Low water levels in key reservoirs mean that hydropower supplies are declining. One of the hardest hit areas is California, where output has tumbled to the lowest in more than five years. Nationally, the US Energy Information Administration predicts electricity generation from conventional hydro sources will drop about 11% this year from 2020. That’s at a time when electric grids across the West are already forecast to be stretched this summer as heat waves send power demand surging. With less hydropower, the challenge of meeting peak demand may get even tougher, especially in California. Already in the state, hydropower is down about 40% this month compared with June 2020, according to BNEF.