Some interesting claims.
Art Hunter
Dear Hunter,
I probably don't need to tell you that extreme weather events are a year-round occurrence. Snow, ice storms, hurricanes, floods, heat domes, and wildfires all are increasing in frequency and severity as a result of climate change. Extreme weather has caused 80 percent of major US power outages in recent decades, with the frequency of weather-related outages nearly doubling in the last 10 years. (And one of our latest analyses shows that extreme weather was behind 100 percent of power outages in the Central United States over the last decade). An equitable, resilient power grid that can meet these increasingly frequent extreme weather events requires transmission systems that can deliver electricity reliably nationwide to save money and lives.
Wind energy off the New England coast can powerfully reinforce the reliability of the region's electric grid, especially during winter when the system is particularly vulnerable to energy shortages—and volatile swings in oil and gas prices. Combined with the energy available from onshore wind and solar resources, an offshore wind fleet can support a shift toward local solutions for winter reliability in New England, bringing consumers much-needed relief from high seasonal electricity bills. That's a solution everyone can get behind.—Margo