Rising Temperatures and Power Outages: A Growing Threat to Global Heat Wave Resilience

As global temperatures continue to rise, the demand for air conditioning is expected to triple worldwide by 2050. However, without electricity, people are unable to use their air conditioning units, leaving them vulnerable to extreme heat and its consequences. In recent years, we have seen examples of power outages during extreme heat events in California, the Pacific Northwest, and Europe, leading to dangerous situations for residents.

The impact of climate change on the power grid is evident in the increasing number of major outages in the US, with weather accounting for 80% of such incidents from 2000 to 2023. The aging infrastructure of the power grid is not adequately equipped to handle the challenges posed by extreme weather events. Storms, in particular, can cause significant damage to transmission lines and power poles while heatwaves can strain the system due to increased demand for cooling.

The combination of severe weather, heatwaves, and power outages is a troubling scenario that is likely to occur more frequently in the future as the planet continues to warm. Scientists have warned of the potential impact of heatwaves combined with multi-day power outages, highlighting the urgent need for action to address the vulnerabilities of the power grid in the face of climate change.

As people rely more heavily on air conditioning during these extreme weather events, there is a growing threat of multi-day power outages that render it useless. Without electricity, people are unable to use their air conditioning units or cool their homes effectively during prolonged heat waves.

Many power grids are struggling to cope with the increasing strain as extreme weather events become more frequent. For example, when Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana in August 2021 over a million people were left without power. A subsequent heat wave with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit further exacerbated