"War and Warming Upend Global Energy Supplies and Amplify Suffering"

"First, Russia upended the world energy market, then searing temperatures drove up demand for energy, forcing some of the world’s largest economies to scramble to secure power for their citizens."

"Deadly heat and Russia’s war in Ukraine are packing a brutal double punch, upending the global energy market and forcing some of the world’s largest economies into a desperate scramble to secure electricity for their citizens.

This week, Europe found itself in a nasty feedback loop as record temperatures sent electricity demand soaring but also forced sharp cuts in power from nuclear plants in the region because the extreme heat made it difficult to cool the reactors.

France on Tuesday detailed its plan to renationalize its electricity utility, EDF, to shore up the nation’s energy independence by refreshing its fleet of aging nuclear plants. Russia, which for decades has provided much of Europe’s natural gas, kept Europe guessing as to whether it will resume gas flows later this week through a key pipeline. Germany pushed the European Union to greenlight cheap loans for new gas projects, potentially prolonging its reliance on the fossil fuel for decades longer."

Somini Sengupta and Melissa Eddy report for the New York Times July 20, 2022.

Source: NYTimes, 07/21/2022