Keep pulling the thread on Mark Gongloff.
The PJM Interconnection power grid failed for a third consecutive time to secure sufficient future supply commitments to ensure reliability.
Total capacity costs for the PJM Interconnection power grid are projected to tie a record of $16.4 billion.
The number of weather balloon launches has been reduced by approximately half in a large area of the United States, including the Great Plains, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest.
The failure of the PJM Interconnection power grid to secure future supply is partly driven by a boom in demand from data centers.
Firings and budget cuts at the National Weather Service have reduced the number of weather balloons launched for data gathering.
The lack of weather balloon launches in the Great Plains is being blamed by some for the failure to predict tornadoes that hit Kansas in April.
The National Weather Service is experiencing operational stress due to layoffs, understaffing, and a failure to maintain its websites.
Deteriorating weather forecast quality due to reduced data will cause insurance companies to price the increased uncertainty into home insurance premiums, raising costs for consumers.
The private sector cannot currently replace the weather data collection capabilities of the US government because private weather companies rely on data sourced directly from the National Weather Service.