Increased demand meeting with decreased power supply.
Record temperatures in the Pacific Northwest have caused an increase in demand for electricity even as drought conditions have lessened western power generation. The use of air conditioners has risen markedly in regions unused to sustained 100ºF temperatures, such as Oregon and Washington state. Power plants need water to cool off their systems but lake levels have been dropping and riverbeds have dried up.
“Less water often results in less water running through turbines and creating electricity,” Tracey LeBeau of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Western Area Power Administration. “Right now, in many regions, power is in higher demand because of the higher temperatures. So it’s really a double whammy for us.”
While in Wisconsin this past week, President Biden said, “As climate change induces extreme weather events more and more frequently, we need to make investments to build a more resilient grid to carry this electricity.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Energy Secretary Granholm as solutions to the demand for power are evaluated.
- For officials at the Bureau of Reclamation as they seek to support water supplies.
- For the president and his advisors as they look to implement ways to counter climate change.
- For rain for the drought-ridden states.
Sources: NBS News, Breitbart
