Our power grid can’t take the heat — can cooler heads in DC fix the problem?

Amid all the horrors of last week’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump is a dangerous ongoing heat wave that is engulfing the nation, making temperatures — and tempers — soar.
In an Oval Office address on Sunday night, President Biden asked Americans to “lower the temperature,” meaning politically charged rhetoric. But we also have literal temperature problems due to loss of power.

How Future Hurricanes Could Stress Power Grids of U.S. Cities

A new analysis shows increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes could cause more devastating interruptions to the power grid.

The risk of hurricane-induced power outages could become 50 percent higher in some areas of the United States, including Puerto Rico, because of climate change in the coming decades, according to a new analysis.

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Electric Power Research Institute mapped how future hurricanes could affect power supplies, allowing residents to see how vulnerable their electricity is.

Will California’s power grid be able to handle this heat wave?

All eyes are on California’s power grid to see how it will handle the first heat wave of the summer.

California Independent Systems Operator, otherwise knowns as CAISO, manages the energy flowing through the state and has not yet issued a Flex Alert. On Wednesday, they forecasted enough supply to keep up with the demand on the Fourth of July, but that can change.

“We don’t plan or have any plans to proactively shut down power to protect the safety of our customers, but as always with increased heat, there’s always a possibility of unplanned outages,” said Humberto Gurmilan, a communications manager with San Diego Gas & Electric.

Houston Power Outages Enter 4th Day Amid Heatwave Fears

Hundreds of thousands of Texans are without power for a fourth day after a devastating thunderstorm tore through Houston.

More than 225,000 people were still without power as of Monday morning, according to poweroutages.us, after the storm brought torrential rain, flooding and winds of up to 100 mph.

Deloitte Addresses Core Power Sector Challenges Amid Rising Demand

The electric power industry is expected to experience as much as a tripling of electricity demand by 2050. Further electrification of energy end uses, data center growth, and reshoring of manufacturing could all contribute to this trend. But while this new load could bring additional revenue, preparing for it could challenge the power sector in an increasingly complex and often resource-constrained environment. New policies, technologies, and market innovations could help the industry navigate these challenges.

Why natural gas will thrive in the age of renewables

In 2015, Hawaii’s state government signed into law a bold vision for the island’s energy future, pledging to generate 100 percent of its power from renewables, such as wind and solar power, by 2045. Hawaii’s steady trade winds and warm sunshine seemed to make it the perfect place to pursue a clean energy mix. Already, there are days when Hawaii generates nearly 60 percent of its electricity from renewables.