Heat Wave Hits New York City Courtesy of NTDTV
Air conditioners have been draining power grids as a nearly-record breaking heat wave has hit the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Numerous outages occurred along the East Coast, with approximately 1,000 in Washington DC, 6,500 in New Jersey, and 6,300 in New York, reported the Associated Press. Overall air conditioner usage is approaching the record in the 2006.
On Tuesday, the temperature was at a record in New York at 103 degrees and power usage reached 33,452 MW, well over the 2009 record, reported the New York Independent Operator.
Officials said that the electric grid was able to handle the demand for energy and most air conditioners ran unfettered. Officials are continuing to observe the grid to make sure no serious outages occur as the heat wave passes through.
Although most homes and institutions have air conditioning running all day, some residents in the Northeast region were affected by the minor outages. Families that did not have air conditioning resorted to public locations such as Starbucks, museums, city-operated cooling centers, and cinemas, which blast cool air all day long.
Experts are concerned that the over usage of the power grid can lead to further damages to the environment and human health.
Scientists have said before that air conditioning is a great contributor to global warming, but many are unaware of the effect it has on their waistlines.
“Spending almost 100% of one’s time in a thermo-neutral zone, where your body doesn’t have to work any harder to stay warm — or cool — could contribute to obesity,“ Stan Cox, the author of Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World, told the National Post. ”There is also evidence people tend to eat more when they are under cooler conditions.”
Air conditioners have been draining power grids as a nearly-record breaking heat wave has hit the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Numerous outages occurred along the East Coast, with approximately 1,000 in Washington DC, 6,500 in New Jersey, and 6,300 in New York, reported the Associated Press. Overall air conditioner usage is approaching the record in the 2006.
On Tuesday, the temperature was at a record in New York at 103 degrees and power usage reached 33,452 MW, well over the 2009 record, reported the New York Independent Operator.
Officials said that the electric grid was able to handle the demand for energy and most air conditioners ran unfettered. Officials are continuing to observe the grid to make sure no serious outages occur as the heat wave passes through.
Although most homes and institutions have air conditioning running all day, some residents in the Northeast region were affected by the minor outages. Families that did not have air conditioning resorted to public locations such as Starbucks, museums, city-operated cooling centers, and cinemas, which blast cool air all day long.
Experts are concerned that the over usage of the power grid can lead to further damages to the environment and human health.
Scientists have said before that air conditioning is a great contributor to global warming, but many are unaware of the effect it has on their waistlines.
“Spending almost 100% of one’s time in a thermo-neutral zone, where your body doesn’t have to work any harder to stay warm — or cool — could contribute to obesity,“ Stan Cox, the author of Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World, told the National Post. ”There is also evidence people tend to eat more when they are under cooler conditions.”
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