The Land Desk

The Land Desk

Oregon wildfire knocks out power line

Highlights pesky paradoxes of the grid

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Jonathan P. Thompson
Jul 12, 2021
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The shutdown of a critical high voltage transmission line due to the Bootleg Fire in northern California is causing more stress for harried grid operators in the Southwest. It also highlights a pesky paradox regarding the Western power system and its relationship to climate change. 

This story’s roots go back to 1948, when California, in the midst of the…

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