In Other News · United States

Source: Axios

A powerful El Niño could bring major shifts in electricity supply and demand across the U.S. this winter, posing new challenges for utilities.Why it matters: The U.S. power grid has far more solar, wind and battery storage than during the last major El Niño, and the ongoing event could reveal whether that changing energy mix has made the grid more resilient or left it vulnerable in new ways.Driving the news: A very strong El Niño is strengthening in the tropical Pacific and is expected to continue into spring 2027, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.NOAA's latest outlook favors wetter-than-normal conditions across California, the Southwest and much of the southern U.S. this winter, while the northern Rockies and parts of the Great Lakes lean drier and much of the northern U.S. leans warmer.The intrigue: El Niño doesn't affect every electricity resource the same way.A March study found that previous super El Niños were associated with reductions in potential solar power output of nearly 5% in parts of California over 12 months — and more than 10% in the state's north during winter.Vincent Tidwell, chief scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, says a wetter California winter could boost hydropower, while reduced...