As inflation rises, a worsening climate crisis and the Ukraine war continues, some states could face difficult months ahead.
With temperatures expected to rise this summer, experts warn that there could be a massive power cut as the upcoming summer of 2022 nears.
Fuel shortages, droughts and heatwaves, commodity disruptions, soaring prices due to the Ukraine war, and the failed green energy transition in which grid operators retired too many fossil fuel generation plants have already strained power grids.
When all of these factors come together, a perfect storm of blackouts threatens much of the Northern Hemisphere.
@NERC_Official 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment warns that several parts of North America are at elevated or high risk of energy shortfalls this summer due to predicted above-normal temperatures and drought conditions. Announcement: https://t.co/HEzyZ75Ute pic.twitter.com/RizYfjIUe9
— NERC (@NERC_Official) May 18, 2022
This power crisis might be less than a month away when summer begins on June 21, which is going to be affecting much of the world’s top economies.
While the eastern United States is largely expected to have sufficient operating reserves, most of the rest of the country is at elevated or high risk of power supply issues this summer, NERC said.
@NERC_Official 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment warns that several parts of North America are at elevated or high risk of energy shortfalls this summer due to predicted above-normal temperatures and drought conditions. Announcement: https://t.co/HEzyZ75Ute pic.twitter.com/RizYfjIUe9
— NERC (@NERC_Official) May 18, 2022
One of the states named in the report is California, where power outages have been a problem for years. In 2019, millions of residents suffered from blackouts as the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was forced to switch power on and off over and over again to ease the strain on the grid.
Hydropower is also lacking in the West this year as an extended drought has kept river waters lower than usual, Bloomberg said.
In fact, the California Independent System Operator warned that the drought might put hydropower at risk through 2025, the outlet reported earlier this month.
The Golden State could be short up to 1,700 megawatts this summer, enough power to run 1.3 million homes.
Attempting to head off the problem, California officials have ordered power companies to buy thousands of watts in supplies, including banks of solar batteries, the power from which can be used during the overnight hours.
The state is also floating a new program that would pay customers for using less power during the peak energy hours of the day.
Texas is also at risk of blackouts, according to the report. It also experienced power outages last year, and that problem has not been fully resolved, experts say.
But parts of the Midwest could be facing the greatest threat, with the NERC assessment putting many of those states under “high risk” status.
California, Texas, and Indiana are likely to face power outages as green energy “solutions” are taking precedence over tried-and-true sources of energy, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The nation’s devolving economy under Joe Biden is also causing a problem for the energy industry, the report said, noting that many power companies cannot finish their build-out of battery storage facilities because of “supply-chain challenges and inflation.”
Aside from the United States, Asia, and Europe are among the regions where there is insufficient power to meet rising cooling demand as people turn up their air conditioners to escape the scorching heat.
Sources: Westernjournal, Bloomberg, Breitbart, The Wall Street Journal