© John Locher, APXaviere Coleman pours water over his head to cool off in a Wookiee costume along the Las Vegas Strip, June 20, 2017, in Las Vegas. Coleman was taking a break from posing for photographs with tourists.
Unprecedented temperatures across the Southwest pushed power companies into uncharted territory last week as they shattered records for electricity use.
As people from California to Texas cranked up their air conditioners, at least eight utilities across five states saw electricity use reach all-time highs, meaning they provided more simultaneous power than ever before.
The records were a scorching reminder that Americans are already experiencing a rise in extreme heat that scientists attribute to climate change. The number of days with highs above 95 degrees has risen substantially in many places, according to a recent analysis by Climate Central, an independent, non-profit research and news organization that analyzes and reports on climate science.
Record-breaking demand for electricity is likely to continue, said Maximilian Auffhammer, an environmental economist at the University of California, Berkeley, who wrote a paper on the subject in February. Hot states with growing populations, such as Arizona, California, Florida and Texas, will feel the biggest impact, he said.
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