Union of Concerned Scientists
AUGUST 22, 2023
But extreme heat also hits our electricity system in ways that make it more expensive, more polluting, and less reliable. Extreme heat means more expensive electricity Extreme heat can sharply increase electricity consumption as people turn up their air conditioners for relief. One factor is the dirtiness of fossil fuels.
Union of Concerned Scientists
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
As the adoption of electric cars, trucks, and buses gains momentum, many people are wondering if the electric grid is up to the task of charging all of those vehicles. And will the grid be able to handle all of the electric vehicles we will have as we progress toward a highly-electrified transportation future, by say 2040 or 2050?
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Union of Concerned Scientists
NOVEMBER 16, 2023
The legislation committed nearly $400 billion to support, among other things, wind and solar power, battery storage, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies that will make a significant dent in US heat-trapping emissions. It also will save US consumers money because they will spend less on fossil fuels.
Union of Concerned Scientists
SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
electricity generation. Renewables are continuing to increase their share of the power sector, rising to almost 23 percent of the nation’s electricity supply last year, which was higher than the generation from both coal-fired and nuclear plants. In other words, when the air is hot, gas power plants cannot generate as much electricity.
Enviromental Defense
APRIL 16, 2024
Fossil fuel subsidies are hurting us Subsidies and public financing to oil and gas companies: Harm our health : Governments are propping up an industry that is killing us. A recent report found that one in five premature deaths is caused by air pollution from burning fossil fuels. In Canada, that’s 36,000 people a year.
Union of Concerned Scientists
JULY 13, 2022
We would run around all day until we finally needed to cool off, which meant we would go to whoever’s house had the most sodas, ice cream, or popsicles. Just last week I went without electricity and air conditioning for over 8 hours on a day when the heat index reached over 105°F. Without electricity, our home reached 87°F.
Union of Concerned Scientists
FEBRUARY 9, 2024
Gas, which now generates 40 percent of US electricity, is considered by some to be critical to maintain grid reliability. For example, Dominion Energy, an electric and gas utility in Virginia, is planning to build a mammoth 1,000-megawatt gas plant in an area with a high percentage of residents who are people of color and low-income.
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