Why do lake levels vary so much and so unpredictably?
Lakes Oconee and Sinclair exist for the production of hydroelectric power. Operated as “pumped storage” facilities, lake levels can vary up to 2 feet or more within a few hours. Although this fluctuation can be predictable at times, overall electrical system conditions – demands, availability of other generating units – can change this on very short notice. Although an extreme condition, the recent Northeastern blackouts is one example. This makes predictions and any kind of published schedule nearly impossible. Counting on such a prediction would also be very risky. Beyond these issues, naturally occurring conditions such as droughts, heavy rainfall/inflows and downstream requirements obviously have an effect. Georgia Power must balance a number of factors – regulatory concerns, generation requirements, generating until design/engineering considerations, environmental concerns – in operating our facilities on these projects. The best news that we can offer is that these are issues on
