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How You Can Help Prevent Blackouts During a Heat Wave
By and Naureen S Malik
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With temperatures set to exceed 100F this week, electricity grids in New York City and other areas along the US east coast are experiencing stress, triggering a blackout in the city on Monday and emergency alerts elsewhere. It's a pattern that will likely be more common across the country over the coming months, but experts say there are changes consumers can make to help prevent power outages.
'Extreme weather events of all kinds – heat waves, hurricanes, flooding events – are putting immense stress on the grid and on people's lives,' says Kit Kennedy, who leads the power division at non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council. Simple actions by consumers, such as avoiding charging your electric car during peak hours and raising air conditioning's temperature, can ease grid stress, Kennedy says. 'Flexibility is going to be the key.'
