Casualty of higher temperatures may also be the availability of electricity. in Europe, the 2003 heatwave depleted rivers, causing hydroelectric stations to produce less power. the heat also raised river water temperatures too high to cool nuclear reactors, causing power station shutdowns in France. a record heatwave in California in 2006 also triggered power blackouts as people used more air conditioning, increasing stress on transformers and power lines. because night time temperatures also stay high, The transformers and lines had less opportunity to cool off and therefore failed more often. The resultant blackouts left 2 million californians without electricity at a time when air conditioning was literally a lifesaver.
Air conditioning is but one of the electrical necessity is of modern society. It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that today's information society is addicted to electricity. imagine life without the countless other devices that run on electricity : computers, cell phones, ATM machines, refrigerators. unless steps are taken to bolster the reliability of the electricity supply, global warming could make blackouts a regular feature of future summers, bringing social havoc and immense human suffering.
If the average world temperature increases by 5 C, electricity demand would go up in the US by 22 % necessitating billions of dollars of investment. A warmer climate may reduce the efficiency of power production for many existing fossil fuel and nuclear power plants because these plants use water for cooling. The colder the water, the more efficient the generator. Thus, higher air and water temperatures could reduce the efficiency with which these plants convert fuel into electricity.
A recent study found that future electricity demand had been grossly underestimated by present models. Instead of 4 % projected rise, 40 % rise in demand was expected in the residential sector if there was a severe rise in the dew point temperature !
Energy and water systems are connected. Energy is needed to pump, transport, and treat drinking water and wastewater. Cooling water is needed to run many of today's power plants. Hydroelectricity (electricity produced by running water) is itself an important source of power.
Power plants can require large amounts of water for cooling. On average, a kilowatt-hour of electricity (enough power to run 400 typical compact-fluorescent light bulbs for an hour) requires 25 gallons of water to be withdrawn from rivers or lakes. Parts of the Southeast and Southwest face increased competition for water to meet the demands of population and economic growth while also protecting natural ecosystems. Many local governments in these regions have slowed or stopped plans for new power plants that require large withdrawals of water due to concerns about adequate availability of cooling water.
Rising temperatures, increased evaporation, and drought may increase the need for energy-intensive methods of providing drinking and irrigation water. For example, desalinization plants can convert salt water into freshwater, but consume a lot of energy. Climate change may also require irrigation water to be pumped over longer distances, particularly in dry regions across the western United States.
A large portion of U.S. energy infrastructure is located in coastal areas and therefore sensitive to sea level rise and storm surge. For example, fuel ports and the generation and transmission lines that bring electricity to major urban coastal centers are at risk. Changes in the frequency and severity of storms and other extreme events may also damage energy infrastructure, resulting in energy shortages that harm the economy and disrupt peoples’ daily lives.
A substantial portion of U.S. energy facilities are located on the Gulf Coast or offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Several coastal power plants in the United States are less than three feet above sea level, and facilities that import or export coal, gas, and oil are also located in coastal regions. Sea level rise and more intense storms and hurricanes in coastal areas could increase the risk of energy supply disruptions.
Flooding and intense storms can damage power lines and electricity distribution equipment. These events may also delay repair and maintenance work. Electricity outages can have serious impacts on other energy systems as well. For example, oil and gas pipeline disruptions following extreme weather events are often caused by power outages rather than physical damage to the infrastructure.
Air conditioning is but one of the electrical necessity is of modern society. It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that today's information society is addicted to electricity. imagine life without the countless other devices that run on electricity : computers, cell phones, ATM machines, refrigerators. unless steps are taken to bolster the reliability of the electricity supply, global warming could make blackouts a regular feature of future summers, bringing social havoc and immense human suffering.
If the average world temperature increases by 5 C, electricity demand would go up in the US by 22 % necessitating billions of dollars of investment. A warmer climate may reduce the efficiency of power production for many existing fossil fuel and nuclear power plants because these plants use water for cooling. The colder the water, the more efficient the generator. Thus, higher air and water temperatures could reduce the efficiency with which these plants convert fuel into electricity.
A recent study found that future electricity demand had been grossly underestimated by present models. Instead of 4 % projected rise, 40 % rise in demand was expected in the residential sector if there was a severe rise in the dew point temperature !
Energy and water systems are connected. Energy is needed to pump, transport, and treat drinking water and wastewater. Cooling water is needed to run many of today's power plants. Hydroelectricity (electricity produced by running water) is itself an important source of power.
Power plants can require large amounts of water for cooling. On average, a kilowatt-hour of electricity (enough power to run 400 typical compact-fluorescent light bulbs for an hour) requires 25 gallons of water to be withdrawn from rivers or lakes. Parts of the Southeast and Southwest face increased competition for water to meet the demands of population and economic growth while also protecting natural ecosystems. Many local governments in these regions have slowed or stopped plans for new power plants that require large withdrawals of water due to concerns about adequate availability of cooling water.
Rising temperatures, increased evaporation, and drought may increase the need for energy-intensive methods of providing drinking and irrigation water. For example, desalinization plants can convert salt water into freshwater, but consume a lot of energy. Climate change may also require irrigation water to be pumped over longer distances, particularly in dry regions across the western United States.
A large portion of U.S. energy infrastructure is located in coastal areas and therefore sensitive to sea level rise and storm surge. For example, fuel ports and the generation and transmission lines that bring electricity to major urban coastal centers are at risk. Changes in the frequency and severity of storms and other extreme events may also damage energy infrastructure, resulting in energy shortages that harm the economy and disrupt peoples’ daily lives.
A substantial portion of U.S. energy facilities are located on the Gulf Coast or offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Several coastal power plants in the United States are less than three feet above sea level, and facilities that import or export coal, gas, and oil are also located in coastal regions. Sea level rise and more intense storms and hurricanes in coastal areas could increase the risk of energy supply disruptions.
Flooding and intense storms can damage power lines and electricity distribution equipment. These events may also delay repair and maintenance work. Electricity outages can have serious impacts on other energy systems as well. For example, oil and gas pipeline disruptions following extreme weather events are often caused by power outages rather than physical damage to the infrastructure.
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