美国国家公共电台 NPR--Much of the U.S. could see power blackouts this summer, a grid assessment reveals

Much of the U.S. could see power blackouts this summer, a grid¹ assessment² reveals

Transcript³

A grid reliability⁴ report says power outages are likely in parts of the Midwest, California and Texas. The Western drought and a mismatch between supply and peak summer demand are some reasons why.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Some troubling news as we inch towards summer - parts of the U.S. power grid face high risks of outages. A new grid reliability report shows that places in the Midwest, California and Texas may not have enough power as temperatures rise and residents crank up air conditioners. NPR's Laura Benshoff reports.

LAURA BENSHOFF, BYLINE⁵: Most of the country west of Ohio could see blackouts this summer.

JOHN MOURA: It's a pretty sobering report, and it's clear the risks are spreading.

BENSHOFF: That's John Moura with the North American Reliability Corporation, who says, compared to years past, things do not look good. Let's start in the Midwest, where the picture looks the worst, especially in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Michigan. The grid operator there may not have enough energy to meet normal summer peak demand, according to the organization's assessment. What is summer peak demand? Picture everyone running their AC full blast all at once. The report warns the region will operate with very little reserves, especially if temperatures are more extreme or there's a storm that causes outages.

Todd Hillman, a VP with the Midwest grid operator, compares it to driving with just a little gas in your tank.

TODD HILLMAN: So if the car runs perfectly⁶, you might be able to make it to the next exit. But we don't like to try and take those chances.

BENSHOFF: In the West, things look better but not great. Drought has reduced the amount of hydropower available. That's an issue because hydro is a major source of renewable energy in the region. And in Texas, heat is already baking residents and pushing up energy demand. When six power plants unexpectedly went down last week, the grid company called on residents to turn their AC up to 78 degrees to conserve⁷ energy. Despite this rocky start, Brad Jones, interim⁸ CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, tried to put residents at ease that they'll have power this summer.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BRAD JONES: Bottom line for each of you is that we feel very confident about the summer. Our reserves have gone up relative to last summer.

BENSHOFF: But heat and drought, both of which are exacerbated⁹ by climate change, still pose risks to the reliable flow of energy in the Lone¹⁰ Star State, according to the grid reliability assessment. That's a fundamental change in how we think about our power, says Peter Larsen, department head at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

PETER LARSEN: Historically, power outages almost always occur at the distribution level - the local power lines serving your neighborhood that get knocked over because of a windstorm hitting a tree that then drops on the line.

BENSHOFF: Now he says Americans also have to worry about systemwide issues that could turn the lights or the AC off.

Laura Benshoff, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF YPPAH'S "SHOT INTO THE SUN")

1 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 reliability   

n.可靠性，确实性

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• I can assure you of the reliability of the information.我向你保证这消息可靠。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

7 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

8 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

9 exacerbated   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。
• The drugs they gave her only exacerbated the pain. 他们给她吃的药只是加重了她的痛楚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。