Global warming could affect electricity production

New York Times : There may be yet another downside to climate warmingâmdash;reductions in thermoelectric power generation and increased electricity prices. As the climate warms, so do the rivers and lakes that are used to cool power plants. In an article published yesterday in Nature Climate Change, scientists looked at present-day temperatures in Europe and North America, which represent about 86% of global thermoelectric water usage, and projected what temperatures would be by midcentury. According to the findings, US generating capacity, for example, could fall 4.4â16% on hot days. The problem is not newâmdash;many American plants already have a summer and a winter power rating. And as early as 1995, the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit utility consortium, published a lengthy study in which it discussed the problem of hot cooling water and the potential cost increases as warmer weather drives peaks in electricity demand even higher. To ensure future energy security, the researchers who wrote the Nature Climate Change article recommend “improved climate adaptation strategies in the thermoelectric power sector.”