The US power grid isn’t ready for climate change
VoxJul 03, 2021
What has been characterized as a "once-in-a-generation" winter storm by meteorologists has brought high winds, heavy snow and ice, and frigid temperatures to two-thirds of the United States.
The powerful Arctic-influenced winter storm has left over 650K residents without power and has triggered weather alerts spanning from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and from Washington state to Florida.
Damaging winter storms are becoming increasingly common in the United States. The country's power grid is not resilient enough to weather the effects of accelerating climate change. The US must shift its energy supply towards renewable sources like wind and solar — this transition will help vulnerable populations brave the impacts of these wild temperature swings while reducing emissions.
It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with it. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.