Even though the state’s largest hydroelectric power plant has been offline because of the Oroville Dam crisis this month, California’s power grid and overall energy reliability have been unaffected, state officials said last week. As emergency crews worked to repair a damaged spillway, the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) said operators at the 819 MW hydro plant at Lake Oroville hope to have the option of using it within a week or so. Since the emergency arose earlier this month, DWR has lowered the level of the reservoir in back of the dam by 35 feet as of Thursday. “We’re still taking more water out than we’re taking in right now,” a spokesperson said. Separately, a spokesperson for the California Independent System Operator confirmed that the Oroville Edward Hyatt power plant was offline, but he said there are no estimates of what, if any, effect that has had on gas-fired generation in the state.