Board of Public Utilities update: Rio Chama hydro facilities producing well below capacity amid drought and El Vado repairs

Sue Barnes, the Environmental Sustainability Board member who attended recent Board of Public Utilities meetings, told the Environmental Sustainability Board on Aug. 21 that the county's two hydroelectric facilities on the Rio Chama together can produce about 26 megawatts at maximum, but current output is sharply reduced.

Barnes said the El Vado Lake dam is undergoing work that requires drawing down the lake, which limits turbine flow; she reported the El Vado facility was producing about 2 megawatts on weekends and Abiquiu about 1.3 megawatts. Barnes attributed the reduced output primarily to drought and low snowpack, noting last winter's snowpack was roughly 46 percent of normal and total precipitation for the year about 76 percent of average.

Barnes said both plants remain operable and that ongoing equipment and maintenance improvements are planned. She noted the facilities, built in the late 1980s, provide carbon-free electricity when water is available and that the county also receives some carbon-free hydro power through the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA).

She encouraged residents to take guided tours when available, saying staff sometimes provide tours by request. Barnes said dam repairs at El Vado will take several years and that water availability remains the principal constraint on generation.

Board members asked for more detail on operations and were reminded that generation depends on hydrology, not only mechanical condition; Barnes emphasized that the county intends to maintain the facilities while acknowledging long-term hydrologic uncertainty.