“THIS IS THE highest-risk cautionary warning.” That is how John Moura, an official at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) recently described the dangers facing America’s power grid this summer. In May the expert group predicted an unusually scorching one in the west and south-west, with a worsening drought and wildfires. This witch’s brew of forces, it warned, threatens a power grid that is already “vulnerable”.
Listen to this story
Your browser does not support the <audio> element.
The boffins were quickly proven right. A dramatic heatwave has struck large parts of the American west. The prospect of power cuts is unpleasant for everyone. For electric utilities
→ Continue reading at The Economist
