News
China’s Record Drought Is Drying Rivers and Feeding Its Coal Habit
Dry weather in southwestern China has crippled huge hydroelectric dams, forcing cities to impose rolling blackouts and driving up the country’s use of coal.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate: water resources
State of Play
Extreme weather and prolonged drought in some regions are affecting electricity generation — notably hydroelectric and nuclear power.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: coal
State of Play
The use of coal, a staple of heating and electricity-generation for decades, is in decline in the United States — supplanted by newly abundant production of natural gas — but is still dominant in some parts of the world. While economical, coal use is particularly problematic as international attention focuses increasingly on climate change.