Heatwaves Fuel Fire Risk
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Rising California temperatures intensify heatwaves and wildfires. Smoke blankets communities like Santa Clarita, a stark reminder of climate-driven hazards.
California’s summers are getting hotter, and heatwaves are now longer, stronger, and deadlier. As temperatures soar, the demand for electricity spikes, straining the grid and triggering rolling blackouts. This cycle creates a dangerous feedback loop: burning more fossil fuels to stay cool drives the very warming that fuels future heatwaves.
The Energy Strain
During extreme heat events, air conditioners run nonstop, pushing electricity demand to record highs. Renewable energy helps, but the grid still relies heavily on natural gas. These surges not only drive emissions but also stress aging infrastructure.
The Climate-Cost of Power
The growing energy appetite has unintended consequences. Data centers, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence add to the load, raising urgent questions about how to decarbonize fast enough to keep pace with rising demand. Meanwhile, legacy energy decisions linger. At San Onofre, spent nuclear fuel remains on the shoreline — a reminder of how past power choices create long-term environmental risks.
Adapting for Survival
Meeting this dual crisis requires accelerating renewable deployment, modernizing the grid, and investing in storage. But adaptation is also about responsibility: securing the remnants of past energy systems so they do not add to the climate burden.
Cities Under Heat Stress
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Historic San Francisco neighborhoods face rising summer temperatures and rolling blackouts as climate change strains California’s electricity grid.
Cities Under Heat Stress
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Historic San Francisco neighborhoods face rising summer temperatures and rolling blackouts as climate change strains California’s electricity grid.
California’s heatwaves reveal more than a weather pattern, they expose the vulnerabilities of an energy system in transition. The lesson is clear: the future of power must be both clean and accountable.
Clean Energy for a Cooler Future
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Renewable energy, like wind power, offers solutions to rising heat and fossil fuel use, helping break the cycle of climate-driven heatwaves.
Clean Energy for a Cooler Future
Envato
Renewable energy, like wind power, offers solutions to rising heat and fossil fuel use, helping break the cycle of climate-driven heatwaves.
