Article snippet: Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. is expected to be hit by a massive weekend heat wave, forcing energy companies to brace for maxed out grids and potential blackouts. It will also create a spike in carbon emissions, as the use of fossil fuels by people seeking to cool down expands. In Texas, the Midwest, the mid-Atlantic and New England, states are facing historic heat advisories, with temperatures expected to reach into the 100s in some places. All of that will lead to spikes in energy use. “A lot of Americans don’t really have a deep understanding of the energy they are using and the fact that time of the day and peak energy is peak fossil fuel use. It’s a double whammy in terms of climate,” said Kiran Bhatraju, CEO of Arcadia Power. Increasing temperatures will likely result in increased air conditioning usage, a phenomenon power companies are keeping an eye on to make sure energy demand doesn’t exceed availability. New York’s Independent System Operator said it’s expecting peak energy loads between Friday and Sunday in excess of 30,000 megawatts (MW). “The NYISO’s grid operators are ready to handle the expected demand,” Wes Yeomans, vice president of operations for NYISO, said in a statement. “We are coordinating with local transmission operators to suspend planned maintenance work through the event and are in regular contact with generation owners to ensure we meet the reliability needs of the grid.” Energy concerns in New York are especially heightened after... Link to the full article to read more