Did Your Power Go Out?

More Electric Heat Pumps = More Power Outages

New York already experiences more power outages than any other state in our region. According to the electric grid operator, blackouts could occur more frequently beginning in 2023. By 2035, power outages would be more common in the winter, when New Yorkers need their heating systems most.

Right now, power outages are most common on the hottest days of the year, when everyone turns on their air conditioners at once. The Scoping Plan calls for winter peaking electric consumption by 2035. Imagine not being able to turn up your thermostat on the coldest night of the year. That’s where New York is headed if every home switches to electric heat pumps!

Repairing and upgrading the electric grid will cost $4.5 trillion to $7 trillion, or $30,000-$50,000 per home.
The current grid can’t support more electric heating on top of increasing electric vehicle demands. Power grid operators already say the Northeast is at “heightened risk” of power outages through the winter.
Every year, approximately 1,300 people die in the USA from hypothermia or exposure to cold. Imagine how these terrible statistics would spike with regular blackouts during the coldest days of the year! That’s where New York is headed if every home switches to electric heat pumps.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6151a6.htm