False, Sustainability Magazine, Heat Waves Aren’t Breaking the Grid
By
Anthony Watts
July 3, 2025
In the article “Climate Change: How Heatwaves are Affecting Power Grids,” Sustainability Magazine (SM) claims that human-caused climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves, which are allegedly placing growing strain on power grids worldwide. This claim is at best, highly misleading, and at worst, outright false. Data does not support the notion that heat waves are increasing in frequency or intensity on a global scale. Evidence instead suggests that localized temperature increases, especially in urban areas where power grids are concentrated, are primarily driven by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect—not global climate change. Evidence also strongly suggests that to the extent power grids are being stretched to the limits it is due to the addition of intermittent power in the form of industrial wind and solar facilities to the grid.
“Human-caused climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of heatwaves since the 1950s and is set to continue to do so according to the World Meteorological Organisation,” says SM. “As temperatures continue to stay hot, power grids and markets are facing strain.”
The narrative pushed by SM is belied by the fact that there is no long-term upward trend in heat wave frequency or intensity when global datasets are correctly adjusted for the UHI effect. For example, Climate Realism carefully analyzed heat wave claims in several articles, here, here, and here, which explain that despite fluctuations year to year, the occurrence of heat waves over the last century has not trended upward globally. In fact, the hottest years in U.S. history for sustained heat waves remain in the 1930s, a period with significantly lower atmospheric carbon dioxide levels than today.
https://climaterealism.com/2025/07/false-sustainability-magazine-heat-waves-arent-breaking-the-grid/
