Hilary's wrath: Summer's latest climate calamity

Presented by Chevron: Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Aug 21, 2023 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by Chevron Vehicles cross over a flood-control basin that has almost reached the street Sunday in Palm Desert, Calif. | Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo California is the latest state to face a climate-change-fueled disaster during a fatally hot summer that won’t quit. The state was still drying out Monday from Hurricane-turned-Tropical-Storm Hilary, which dropped record-breaking rainfall and flooded neighborhoods from San Diego to Los Angeles, writes Chelsea Harvey. The deluge trapped drivers, closed schools and overwhelmed drainage systems. As disasters mount, lawmakers and climate groups are increasing pressure on President Joe Biden to declare a national climate emergency. Biden is traveling to Maui today, where the deadliest wildfire in 100 years of U.S. history has ravaged the historic Hawaiian island. Canada is still on fire, by the way, and the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is swiftly approaching (as are another tropical storm, a tropical depression and a potential tropical cyclone). The climate connection While climate change is not the singular cause of any one weather event (besides maybe the heat index), it acts as a major amplifier. Summer drought and wildfires in Hawaii are not unusual, for example, but the combination of a warming planet and an abundance of nonnative grasses has made out-of-control blazes more likely. And in California, cold coastal waters mean the state rarely receives tropical cyclones or hurricanes. But ocean temperatures are rising. They surged to a record high last year, with global averages spiking since early March. Experts say storms like Hilary will likely remain relatively rare in California even as the climate changes, Chelsea writes. Usually, winds steer cyclones away from California and the region’s atmospheric conditions make it difficult for hurricanes to even form. But those winds have temporarily vanished, amid highly unusual weather conditions in the U.S. And warmer waters mean the hurricanes that do happen to make it up the California coast may be stronger and more damaging. Hilary ballooned into a major Category 4 hurricane in 24 hours. As it traveled over land, the storm weakened — but not enough to spare Southern California from a tropical storm.   It's Monday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@eenews.net. And folks, let's keep it classy.   A message from Chevron: Energy demand is projected to reach a record high in 2023 and will continue to rise in the future. Chevron is responding to the growing need by increasing our U.S. oil and gas production in ways that are affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner.   Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Kelsey Tamborrino breaks down the Biden administration's determination that Chinese companies are funneling solar products through four Southeast Asian countries to avoid tariffs.   A message from Chevron:   Power Centers POLITICO illustration by Claudine Hellmuth/Photos by iStock From apples and potatoes to EVs To see how the many forces shaping the country's transition to electric cars are playing out, look no further than Moses Lake, Wash., writes David Ferris. The town, once known for its apples and potatoes, is turning into a "phenomenal little hub" for the industry with the development of two factories 1 mile apart that make electric vehicle components. Coral reef crisis Skyrocketing temperatures on land and at sea are imperiling the continental United States' only coral barrier reef, leaving scientists and experts increasingly alarmed, writes E.A. Crunden. Heat around southern Florida has created a disaster scenario for coral, which provides a key source of shelter for marine species while also mitigating storm impacts on land. As water temperatures have neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit, reefs are experiencing unprecedented bleaching events. In Other News Solar bonanza: A solar boom sparked by Biden's climate law is spreading to self-storage rooftops. Environmental justice: A new study found that displacing residents to build the nation's interstate highway system cost billions of dollars in lost home values and property taxes.   GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.     Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Haze blankets the main business district in Jakarta, Indonesia. | Dita Alangkara/AP Photo Indonesia’s capital Jakarta is choking under the weight of some of the world’s worst air pollution, a toxic combination of vehicle exhaust, coal-fired power emissions and a long bout of dry weather. New York City’s electric grid is at risk of failing to power Times Square, Wall Street or the city’s air conditioners in the gap between the shuttering of high-polluting power plants in 2025 and a new transmission line from Canada in 2026. A federal judge has ordered a new analysis of potential environmental and public health harms of a proposed rail line designed to bring crude oil from Utah to Gulf Coast refineries. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   SUBSCRIBE TO CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.       A message from Chevron: Oil and gas remain critical components of the global energy system. As energy demand continues to increase, this country has the resources to meet that demand while strengthening its security and economy. In 2022, we increased oil and gas production in the Permian Basin by 16%, and we’re working to grow our supply even further to keep up with rising demand. And we’re also working to do it responsibly, like in the Gulf of Mexico, where our operations are some of the world’s lowest carbon intensity producing assets. Working to provide energy that’s affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner, that’s energy in progress.     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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