This story from Bloomberg News came as no great surprise when it appeared last week:

“New York City is at risk of power outages by 2025 as rising demand amid intense heat and the push toward electrification outpace the grid’s capacity.”

“At peak times this summer, the city needs about 8,800 megawatts but by summer 2025 it would be about 446 megawatts short for nine hours at a time, according to a report of the New York Independent System Operator. Shortages would worsen if temperatures exceed 98 degrees,

NYISO’s estimate comes after 1,027 megawatts from fossil fuel-powered peaker plants, which provide energy at times of high demand, were taken off the grid this year to comply with a 2019 antipollution law. More peaker plants are scheduled to be taken offline by mid-2025, a move that will leave the grid without enough power during summer months when demand spikes as people crank up air conditioners.”

“Electrifying buildings and Uber fleets in pursuit of emission reduction goals will further strain the grid even as its capacity dwindles, contributing to the energy deficit. Without additional power generation, energy efficiency or storage solutions, shortages mean the city faces the risk of blackouts in two years, said NYISO spokesperson Kevin Lanahan.”

Andrew Stuttaford of National Review comments that “It is obviously a bad idea to switch off one source of power without making sure first that there is another ready to take its place.” Well, duh.