Temperatures shot up over 110 degrees in Southern California on Friday, July 6th, obliterating all kinds of long-standing heat records, and the lights went out for tens of thousands of customers. Californians were powerless, without air conditioning, in the hottest weather many had ever experienced. And still on Monday, July 9th, over 34,500 residences and businesses in the Los Angeles area were without power.
Climate scientists have known this was coming for quite some time, and now they are saying it may only be the beginning. Over the 21st century, the frequency of extreme-heat events for major cities is projected to increase and most likely exceed their electricity supply, especially in the areas where the larger coal and nuclear plants are being shuttered.
We have been misled; solar and wind are not the answer. Maybe eventually – they will be able to meet the demand when battery storage is coupled with them, but then they will no longer be cheaper than coal or nuclear, so what will we do then?
Maybe, just maybe, we need these plants operating if for no other reason than for our own comfort, not to mention that the nuclear plants also give us zero carbon emissions; natural gas and coal cannot. These plants also provide good paying jobs which results in greater economic conditions for the community and a great source of tax revenue.
Maybe now the time has come to consider more than just a $10 to $50 savings on the monthly electric bill. Imagine you are a Southern California resident …………What would YOU have been willing to pay for air conditioning on the weekend of the 4th?
