Are these the end times? Perhaps not, but Utility Dive's most read news of the week may suggest otherwise. From a study claiming the U.S. power grid is perpetually on the verge of collapse to NRG Energy CEO David Crane saying he can't wait for the end of the grid, soothsayers might say these are signs of the apocalypse for the grid as we know it.
If you missed the big news or want to catch up on lighter fare, such as fake commercials and marijuana growers, look no further. Utility Dive has you covered—until the end of the grid, that is.
- Fake SoCal Edison commercial to air on TV: Southern California Edison's threat to pursue legal action seems only to have motivated the campaign to "Save Rooftop Solar" to take their efforts even further.
- Report: U.S. power grid on verge of failure: A study of spatial networks reveals the potential for cascading failures, which could result in the "abrupt—and unpredictable—collapse" of the U.S. power grid.
- City pays PG&E to charge marijuana growers extra: The city of Arcata, California is paying PG&E to develop a fee-collecting system to crack down on electricity-draining marijuana growers.
- NRG CEO: 'I’m working for the day the grid is diminished': NRG Energy CEO David Crane’s prediction of utilities' ultimate decline is hard to disagree with.
- U.S. 'wastes' 61% of energy generated: An analysis from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reveals the trends that are shaping the electric sector.
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