Extreme Weather, Record Demand Could Downgrade Power Grid Stablity

[hatrack]

Future climate variation could produce a gap of up to 34% between renewable energy potential and demand without concerted efforts to improve energy storage options, according to new research. At the same time, extreme weather events could reduce the reliability of power supplies by up to 16%, resulting in blackouts and power losses with major economic ramifications.

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The energy sector accounts for around 70% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, Perera says, so renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and hydropower are vital for generating clean, sustainable power.

Yet these forms of energy don’t coincide with peak demand. “For example,” he says, “your peak energy demand in heating might be during the night where you do not produce any electricity. “Climate change itself brings many challenges to the main solutions that we have for climate change, which means we get trapped in a vicious cycle. It is essential to take fast action to get rid of this trap.”

Extreme and unpredictable weather patterns, such as heatwaves and tornadoes, compound the mismatch between energy demand and generation and in turn can damage the energy infrastructure. Even a hot day with temperatures two degrees Celsius higher than an average 35 degrees could create a sudden spike in air-conditioning, and the resulting stress on the grid could potentially knock it out if there is insufficient back-up.

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https://cosmosmagazine.com/climate/how-extreme-weather-can-disrupt-energy-supply

[Golden Raisin]

1. So could Putin.