‘Less water means more gas’: how drought will test California’s stressed power grid

California's diminishing water supply is cutting down hydropower, causing the state to rely more on fossil fuels

Earlier this month, the water level in Lake Oroville - California's second-largest reservoir - was so low that dozens of houseboats were hauled out. There wasn't enough water to hold them.

In a few weeks, officials say, the lake's water levels are likely to dip even lower - forcing them to shut down one of the state's largest hydroelectric power plants for the first time since it was built in 1967.