National Geographic. (2020, August 26). Why renewables aren’t to blame for California’s blackouts. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/08/why-renewables-arent-reason-california-blackouts/
On August 14 and 15, several blackouts occurred in California due to a major heatwave, which critics connected with California’s reliance on solar energy. Experts, including Steve Berberich, president of the organization in charge of the power grid, argue that climate change triggered the heatwave that created blackouts, and that by switching to renewable energy with the right planning, we will lower the chance of heatwaves occurring. Natural gas that often powers California later in the day failed, meaning not enough power was directed into certain areas after solar panels stopped providing energy at night. More careful preparation is needed to prevent a blackout from occurring again, as well as more storage of renewable energy through lithium-ion batteries.
With the threat of climate change, alternative forms of energy are needed that do not contribute to global warming. However, the right form and way of completely changing our power grid quickly and effectively are needed in order to do this. This article highlights the importance of researching how to plan for such a drastic change, including the importance of developing more technology to store this energy. This article also emphasizes the importance of planning this technology with the expectation of climate change-related effects, such as more heatwaves. Even if this technology is designed to lower the effects of climate change, the article emphasizes the importance of preparing for the worst. I agree with the article’s claim that with the threat of more blackouts, more preparation is needed for the future, and more ways to store renewable energy is necessary, and that the blackouts were unlikely to have been directly the cause of renewable, or solar, energy. It is necessary to continue expanding California’s solar and renewable energy usage, not only to lower the chance of future heatwaves but to also fight climate change as a whole.
Coby- You’ve got an interesting topic. Somehow solar has become a somewhat divisive energy. Seems like we should be tapping into the sun directly, of course. The devil is in the details. Assuming solar is a sustainable solution, do you agree with the claim saying that by CA using solar panels we will avoid future heat waves? Maybe in the far out future… I personally think that claim is a stretch. One thing we can agree on is that energy storage is going to be key, and people get awfully upset when the power goes out. Hugely disruptive. Feel free to explore other alternative energies in addition to solar for future abstracts. This was well written, and I appreciated your commentary.
Thanks for replying to my comment! While I do not think that we will avoid future heat waves by immediately switching, I think that we could avoid the worst heatwaves, ones that California does not face even now. I think that heatwaves will continue to increase in the state and that the worst is still yet to come, but this could be curved if we act now.
I liked your emphasis on the need to develop and implement technology for storing renewable energy which is particularly insightful and timely given the current state of climate change. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing California in terms of transitioning to a renewable energy grid, and how can these challenges be overcome?