The temperature in Portland hit 116 degrees last summer, a rude shock for people who never thought they would need air conditioning.
Many have doubtless changed their minds since then, and that creates issues for power generation on the West Coast. Not only will power demand climb in the summer, but streamflows affected by global warming will likely peak in spring and fall, affecting the power supply from hydropower.
Professor Jordan Kern and his group at North Carolina State University go into further depth on how climate change could wreak havoc on energy systems, in recently published research.
Jordan Kern pays a visit to the JX to explain the price we'll pay in power as things heat up.