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Air conditioning

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
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A Warmer World

As Texas uses more renewable power, it bets on batteries to keep the lights on

by Elizabeth Trovall
Jun 8, 2023
They help when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing but everyone's AC is on full blast.
A wind energy plant in Dawson, Texas. As the state leans into renewable sources of energy, it's also been expanding its battery capacity.
Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images
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Hybrid work adds strain to power grids during heat wave

by Matt Levin
Sep 6, 2022
The lights and the AC are on in offices and living rooms, challenging energy systems amid record temperatures.
California's electric grid operator has asked residents to save power by shutting off their air conditioning in the late afternoon and evening during the ongoing heat wave.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
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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
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A Warmer World

Extreme heat is becoming more common. Should tenants have a right to air conditioning?

by Samantha Fields
Jun 14, 2022
There are many more laws and programs to help low-income people stay warm in the winter than cool in the summer.
Above, temperatures reached 114º F in of El Centro, California on June 12. Much of the South and West have been grappling with a heat wave, underscoring how air conditioning is becoming increasingly necessary.
Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images
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Air conditioning (or lack of it) can affect student performance

by Stephanie Hughes
Jun 2, 2022
Some schools are using their COVID relief funds to upgrade heating and cooling systems, including installing air conditioning.
Roughly a third of schools report having a fair or poor heating, cooling or ventilation system, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That can impact learning.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images
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A program designed to help low-income people pay for heating faces the need to pay for AC

by Samantha Fields
May 17, 2022
The climate crisis has made it a necessity.
States are increasingly using LIHEAP fund to buy air conditioners for low-income families as heat waves and high temperatures become more common.
James Andrews/Getty Images
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Shelf Life

Could the history of cooling help us understand global warming?

by Eric Dean Wilson
Jul 7, 2021
Air conditioning makes individuals cooler, but the planet hotter. Writer Eric Dean Wilson explores that paradox in his new book.
Workers install an air conditioning unit in a food stall in Shanghai in 2013. In a new book called "After Cooling," writer Eric Dean Wilson wrestles with the societal costs of individual air conditioning.
Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images
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Extreme heat, urgent need for AC challenges infrastructure

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Jun 28, 2021
Nonprofit Climate Central estimates that home air conditioning use will increase almost 60% over the next 30 years.
A heat wave is scorching the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle, only about 44% of homes have air conditioning.
Stephen Brashear via Getty Images
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The battle of the thermostat is really a battle of the sexes

by Marielle Segarra
Aug 29, 2018
We've got your comments on the workplace air conditioning wars.
Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images
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