Don't forget to stock up on batteries, candles, and snacks. There are going to be power cuts.
The western world is preparing for energy shortages for the first time in a long time. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, soaring costs for electricity and fuel, and record-breaking heat waves have taken a toll on the US, UK, and EU. The worst of the energy strain is still to come.
Without broad policy change and private sector reforms, wealthy nations won't be spared. Extreme health risks and economic costs add up to a very difficult situation.
Your air conditioning will be restricted in California. In the years to come, Texans, Illinoisans, and Missourians will join the suffering of their west coast peers in the heat and power shortages.
In Europe and the UK, residents who are not used to heat waves will face skyrocketing energy bills or dangerously hot summers due to their dependence on Russian gas.
California's grid operator ISO urged residents to limit their energy use as the temperature hit a record high.
The text alert worked. The grid's reliability was boosted by residents' energy conservativism, according to the utility.
The relief didn't last long. The ISO called on residents to use less energy during the day. Californians were encouraged to set their thermostat at 78 degrees and not use large appliances.
"I can't keep doing this," the sd fashionista3 wrote in response to the ISO. I've lived in San Diego all my life and I've never seen a temp like this at night.
According to data from poweroutage.us, more than 50,000 Californians experienced some form of power failure that afternoon, despite the ISO's alert.
Climate change can be linked to the strain on the power grid. Californians are running their air conditioning longer because the average temperature has risen faster than their heat tolerance. The infrastructure to the edge of the power grid has been pushed by soaring demand.
Fossil fuel based electricity has been seen as the most reliable in the past, according to a research scholar at Columbia Law School. "But the combination of gas being in shorter supply and more expensive, combined with these climate impacts, highlight that that's not the case anymore."
The threats facing California and other states with hotter climates are underscored by the alert. According to the National Weather Service, roughly 8 million Americans are expected to experience temperatures above 125 degrees in the year 2022. According to new research from the First Street Foundation, the number of people will reach over 100 million in 2053.
California will be part of a larger group. The foundation found that all of Illinois and Missouri will have 125 degree days by 2063. The belt contains parts of 23 states.
Without huge investment in the country's energy grid, such heat waves could knock out power for days at a time. Millions of people can't afford a generator or a pool. A lack of power will cause freezer and fridges to shut down.
As Americans focus on beating the heat, many business owners will be forced to close their doors.
Americans who need powered medical devices will be in the most immediate danger.
"If we don't accelerate our action to mitigate climate change and prepare for the climate change that's already occurring, we're likely to see more of these outages and have a less reliable grid."
The EU and UK are dependent on Russia for their energy needs. While the US can mostly rely on its own energy commodities for power, western Europe relies on Moscow for natural gas and crude oil to keep prices stable.
The relationship lasted for a long time. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, caused a backlash from the West. The EU and UK imposed sanctions on Russia's energy sector in a matter of hours.
The pivot has been difficult. Western Europe has experienced energy shortages throughout the year and summer heat made the problem worse. Thousands of deaths were caused by heat waves in the UK, Spain, Portugal, and France.
Many countries that were affected by the hot spell were not trained to deal with the heat.
Russia's response to energy embargoes caused a new stage of pain. The UK and EU haven't completely removed themselves from Russian gas yet, leaving energy in short supply.
That's left residents paying up for their everyday power needs.
The hike makes it impossible for low-income Britons to choose between going into debt to maintain their basic energy use or enduring a blazing hot summer and frigid winter.
As climate change rages on, the need to reinforce electrical grids with renewable power and efficient energy storage is growing stronger.
We're likely to see more reliability issues if we don't recognize the risks that climate change poses to our electrical system. Climate change is important to regulators, electric utilities, and system operators.
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