America’s Power Grid Could Buckle Under Sweltering Summer Heat, Watchdog Warns
NICK POPE
CONTRIBUTOR
May 15, 2024
Considerable portions of the U.S. are facing heightened risks of blackouts over the summer months, according to a new report by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).
Most of New England, Texas, the Midwest and the Southwest face “elevated risk” of electricity shortages this summer if demand peaks at levels above normal, according to NERC’s 2024 summer reliability report. While the specific challenges that each region may face this summer differ, several large swaths of the country could have to respond to blackout conditions if solar and wind power fail to produce as much power as expected during periods of tight supply and more extreme summer weather.
“NERC’s latest reliability assessment shows that our electricity grid is becoming increasingly reliant on weather-dependent sources of electricity, leaving one-third of the country at elevated risk of blackouts this summer,” Michelle Bloodworth, CEO of America’s Power, a pro-coal advocacy group, said of the NERC report and its findings. (RELATED: Biden’s Climate Agenda May Jeopardize Grid Reliability, New Report Suggests)
https://dailycaller.com/2024/05/15/grid-watchdog-elevated-risk-summer-blackouts-nerc/