Government ShutdownSettling the BillI've Always Wondered ...How We Survive

Loading...

0:00
0% played
Power Marketplace’s public service journalism 💙 Give Now
Stories Tagged as

Electricity

A Warmer World

Heat strains Texas power grid as population keeps growing

by Elizabeth Trovall
Aug 28, 2023
The state is home to many of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. Add record temperatures, and it's no surprise that the grid is stressed.
This summer, peak demand for the Texas grid is 11,000 megawatts more than it was two years ago.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Superconductor breakthrough claims draw interest and skepticism

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Aug 2, 2023
Claims of a room-temperature superconductor have gone viral, but others' earlier claims to have achieved this have been debunked.
A superconductor chilled to a very cold temperature levitates under magnets. It's called the Meissner effect.
iStock/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
A Warmer World

As extreme heat lingers, millions of U.S. households face a utility shutoff crisis

by Lily Jamali
Jul 7, 2023
And it's leaving some people without the electricity to power a fan or air conditioner during intense heat waves.
Utilities cut power to at least 3 million customers who missed payments last year and shutoffs happen most often in the summer, according to research from University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University.
Scott Heins/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
A Warmer World

Risk of electricity shortages rises with extreme heat waves

by Samantha Fields
Jun 28, 2023
Supply shortfall caused by spiking demand during extreme summer weather could affect two-thirds of the U.S.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Are there signs of a slowdown for U.S. natural gas?

by Lily Jamali
May 17, 2023
The number of U.S. rigs has dropped along with natural gas prices. Here's what that means for the "shale revolution."
A year ago, oil producers could get $8 per unit sold, but prices have dropped to around $2.33 for natural gas to be delivered next month. And the projected price isn’t set to crack $4 until December of 2024.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Hurricanes Fiona and Maria, 5 years apart, underscore needs of Puerto Rico's grid

by Stephanie Hughes
Sep 19, 2022
Emergency repairs were made after electricity network went down during Maria. But investments in resilience have been slow to come.
A power line battered by Hurricane Fiona. The storm, which hit nearly five years to the day after Hurricane Maria, caused power outages across Puerto Rico.
Jose Jimenez/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

What might new leadership at ERCOT mean for the troubled Texas power grid?

by Andy Uhler
Aug 16, 2022
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas' new CEO has experience working under a different power pricing model — a capacity market.
Texas operates an energy-only electricity market, which means energy producers only get paid when they generate, and there’s usually not a lot of electricity on standby.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

For public good, not for profit.

Donate

Extreme heat is driving up demand for natural gas, along with prices

by Samantha Fields
Jul 22, 2022
Nearly 40% of U.S. electricity is generated by natural gas, so when millions of air conditioners are turned on, prices rise.
With large swaths of the U.S. under excessive heat warnings this week, Americans are blasting their air conditioners, which can increase electricity bills.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Residents of rural Alaska brace for heat-up in fuel prices

by Emily Schwing
Jul 13, 2022
High gas prices threaten food security as well as people's ability to keep the lights on and protect themselves from the cold.
In rural Alaska, the gas that powers electricity-producing generators is delivered by barge or air. Brevig Mission residents expect prices to climb when the next delivery comes.
Tashka/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Texas power grid operator asks customers to limit afternoon AC use

by Andy Uhler
Jul 11, 2022
With temperatures in triple digits in much of the state, air conditioning is creating heavy demand on a system that has had problems in the past.
With temperatures in the triple digits across the state, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas is urging customers to conserve energy when possible.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE