Washington Post blames climate for blackouts, not retired power
Tom KirkmanIndependent Project Manager
The Washington Post is trying to blame “Climate Change” for the impending electric power blackouts in the U.S.
Blaming electrical transformers overheating due to Global Warming.
The *real* culprit is the government forcing premature retirement of reliable energy from hydrocarbons and nuclear.
Of course, when the looming power blackouts happen, “Climate Change” will be blamed.
The boom in building AI data centers, which are incredibly power hungry, will exacerbate further destabilizing the U.S. electric grid.
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“The electrical grid faces a looming challenge: longer and stronger heat waves.
Large swaths of California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas are projected to have to endure more than four months every year in which the temperature will be high enough to compromise power transformers, new research shows.
As a result, blackouts caused by overheated electrical equipment could become more frequent by mid-century.
What’s at stake
● Transformers are critical.
Transformers “slow down” high-voltage electricity so it can flow safely into your home appliances. Without them, electricity could not be sent over long distances, and the grid would not work. You would either live near a power plant or live without power.
● They are vulnerable to heat waves.
Like all electrical equipment, transformers perform worse in the heat. That can force the electric company to implement rolling power outages. If the temperature stays high for days on end, transformers can fail completely, causing blackouts.
● Power outages during heat waves are deadly.
Air conditioners are more than pleasant conveniences — they are often the difference between life and death. If the power goes out and people cannot cool themselves down, they can suffer heat stroke, dehydration and heart attacks. The old and sick are especially vulnerable.
… An average temperature of 86 degrees implies blistering daytime highs along with sultry nighttime lows, depriving electrical equipment of a chance to cool down. Hotter than that, most power transformers are not designed to operate at full capacity.
… Electric companies will also need more transformers to keep pace with surging demand from power-hungry data centers and a growing movement to electrify everything from vehicles to stoves to heaters.
By 2050, the United States will need three times as many transformers as it has now, according to a recent study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. …”