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Florida and California Have This Need in Common: Clean Backup Power

Union of Concerned Scientists

At this point, I’d wager that pretty much everyone in the US either has been affected or knows someone who has been affected recently by a natural disaster-related electric power outage. Indeed, for people who use electric-powered medical devices, a power outage is life-threatening. That doesn’t reduce the hardship of a power outage.

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Can the Electric Grid Handle EV Charging?

Union of Concerned Scientists

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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Extreme Heat Makes Electricity More Expensive, More Polluting, and Less Reliable

Union of Concerned Scientists

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. Here’s how. That’s the supply part.

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Rural Drivers vs. Disinformation: Three Facts about Electric Vehicles to Set the Record Straight

Union of Concerned Scientists

Availability has also increased , with many auto dealers offering a wide range of new and more affordable electric passenger car and pick-up truck models. Disinformation and misconceptions about electric vehicles are a major reason for this lag. some essential facts about electric vehicles in rural areas.

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How Do Electric Grid Operators Warn Us About Extreme Heat? 

Union of Concerned Scientists

Electricity grid operators often keep a wary eye towards the thermometer, particularly during the summertime danger season , as daily temperatures soar above 90 degree Fahrenheit and heat waves spread around the country. Electricity demand skyrockets with high temperature and humidity, sometimes outstripping available generation supply.

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Can the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Avoid a Major Disaster?

Union of Concerned Scientists

It has been reported that on August 25, the plant temporarily lost all of its off-site electrical power from the grid, which is essential for its safe operation, forcing it to rely on on-site backup power. That could lead to loss of the cooling ponds, which are needed to cool the plant’s diesel generators, enabling them to function.

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Five Things the “Nuclear Bros” Don’t Want You to Know About Small Modular Reactors

Union of Concerned Scientists

SMRs are nuclear reactors that are “small” (defined as 300 megawatts of electrical power or less), can be largely assembled in a centralized facility, and would be installed in a modular fashion at power generation sites. What are SMRs? Some proposed SMRs are so tiny (20 megawatts or less) that they are called “micro” reactors.