Rafters navigate a big drop in rapids along the Tuolumne River during an outing with Sierra Mac River Trips. Recreation companies that rely on water from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir are caught in a quandary with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
But after 5 decades of shepherding countless groups down some of the world’s most iconic and challenging runs, McDonnell never expected to find himself in a mounting battle against the changing climate, the solar industry and the City of San Francisco. Now, as solar power and other renewables have skyrocketed in the state, the demand for hydropower has dropped precipitously when the sun is up, disincentivizing the SFPUC to release water into the system during the day. It’s a reality that leaves businesses like McDonnell’s with scant water when they need it most.
Still, it’s a complicated dynamic; the SFPUC profits off its ability to sell its hydroelectric power. But as a glut of other renewable energy beams into the grid during the day, the energy generated by water can be rendered superfluous — and can actually cost San Francisco money to produce, a phenomenon called negative pricing.
“San Francisco has been good at exploiting the Tuolumne watershed in a huge way for water and power for over 100 years,” he said. “Tuolumne County doesn’t get much out of that, to put it very mildly. Basically, their water and power are exported, and they get nothing.”
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