Environment
Europe’s Endless Heat Waves Imperil Once Reliable Power Sources
Key Points
Europe’s Endless Heat Waves Imperil Once Reliable Power Sources A series of blistering heat waves has weakened some of Europe’s most historically reliable sources of electricity, forcing the continent to lean more heavily on imported fossil fuels and variable renewable energy. France’s river-cooled nuclear plants have suffered a record amount of heat-related outages this summer.
Europe’s Endless Heat Waves Imperil Once Reliable Power Sources
A series of blistering heat waves has weakened some of Europe’s most historically reliable sources of electricity, forcing the continent to lean more heavily on imported fossil fuels and variable renewable energy.
France’s river-cooled nuclear plants have suffered a record amount of heat-related outages this summer. Hungary’s only nuclear station faces shutdown as river levels fall. And hydroelectric plants in the Alps and Nordic region — a crucial source of on-demand, low-carbon power — have been hobbled by hot, dry weather. With more scorching days forecast for August, the disruptions are poised to push power prices even higher, leaving Europeans facing steeper electricity bills just to keep cool.