Western Power Grid at Risk as Lake Powell Approaches Critical Threshold

Lake Powell, the nation's second-largest reservoir, stands 37 feet from the minimum elevation where Glen Canyon Dam stops generating electricity. Record low snowpack and a March heat wave have dropped it to 23% capacity. If it falls further by August 2026, nearly 6 million homes and businesses across the West lose power generation capacity—a cascade effect the Bureau of Reclamation is tracking closely.