Heatwaves could add to energy problems across Europe

High temperatures will lead to a surge in energy demand for cooling but drought in Spain has reduced energy from hydropowerThe extreme heat affecting Iberia this week has led to temperatures peaking at over 40C in some parts of Spain over the past days - that's 7-9C above the seasonal average in some locations like Andalucia.The hot and dry weather has worsened the drought issues across the region, with many water reservoirs recording extremely low levels of storage at the start of the summer season, following a very dry winter (especially January/February) and a very dry May too. Spain generates more than 10% of its electricity from hydropower plants, so this will have some serious implications for energy production and availability/prices. Continue reading...