The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😜
Main Topic: Why Microgrids Are the Backbone of the Next Energy Revolution
Dear Diary. Here is a little good news today. If we as a species are able to keep our civilization going through the many challenges of climate change, we will keep our energy grid intact using renewables to generate power going through the thing. We are already developing much better batteries to store electricity for current and future grids. The concept of microgrids will help developing nations to keep from burning fossil fuels for their energy supply. Better grids will also conserve energy that is generated such that green infrastructure won’t need as much construction as it would with traditional systems.
Here are more details from oil price.com:
Why Microgrids Are the Backbone of the Next Energy Revolution | OilPrice.com
Why Microgrids Are the Backbone of the Next Energy Revolution
By Felicity Bradstock – Oct 18, 2025, 12:00 PM CDT
- Microgrids provide flexible, decentralized power solutions that can operate independently from national grids, boosting access in remote and underserved areas.
- Global initiatives are using microgrids to empower communities and expand clean energy access.
- In the U.S., utilities like PG&E are deploying microgrids to reduce wildfire risks and enhance grid resilience, aided by emerging AI tools that optimize energy balance and efficiency.
Microgrids are becoming an increasingly attractive means of supplying rural areas with energy, particularly as renewable energy sources can be used to power small grids in unconventional energy-producing regions. These small grids can be developed alongside a comprehensive transmission network or in parts of the world where electricity access is limited, to boost access. A microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. It can operate in connection to a broader electricity grid or independently. Microgrids vary significantly in size, from small applications, such as rooftop solar power, to wide-scale (often renewable) energy projects. Some incorporate battery storage to ensure a stable energy supply, while others may rely entirely on the energy source, such as solar panels that only work when the sun is shining.
Microgrids can be beneficial as they can operate independently from the main grid, meaning that they can be used to connect hard-to-reach areas, such as rural regions, to electricity sources. They can also be used independently in the case of a power outage on the main supply. This can make them useful to critical infrastructure, such as medical facilities and grocery stores, to ensure they do not lose power during a blackout.
More companies are now exploring the potential of developing microgrids as higher investment is being seen in renewable energy projects worldwide, signalling a new era of energy infrastructure development. In addition, many now view microgrids as useful for supplying energy in unserved or underserved areas, particularly in developing countries.
In regions of Yemen that have long experienced regular blackouts, leading them to rely on diesel-fuelled generators, the UNDP has invested in “Renewable Energy to Improve Access to Health Services and Livelihood Opportunities” (HEAL) Project across five governorates, with funding from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. The agency has developed solar microgrids to “provide energy to low-income youth and marginalized individuals who are the primary breadwinners for their families” to encourage economic empowerment. Beneficiaries are expected to reach around 205,000 individuals.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), most electricity comes from hydropower, and despite government efforts to expand the national grid, it has not kept pace with population growth. In 2020, around 1.6 million of the DRC’s 10 million households had access to electricity. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the International Finance Corporation, and the International Development Association have partnered with the private sector to develop Africa’s largest mini-grid project to accelerate access to electricity. MIGA has provided a guarantee of $50.3 million to Congo Energy Solutions Limited, which is expected to expand its operations to provide energy to up to five million people by 2025.
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In the United States, some companies are developing microgrids to decrease risks associated with energy delivery. For example, the U.S. utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is increasingly developing remote grids in wildfire-prone regions to reduce the risk of fire associated with main transmission lines. As the price of solar panels, batteries, and backup generators declines, microgrids are becoming more accessible. To date, the utility has installed just around a dozen systems in the Sierra Nevada high country, however this could provide the blueprint for future development in certain regions of the U.S. PG&E aims to develop over 30 remote grids by the end of 2027.
The region’s energy regulator approved the development of remote grids by the utility in 2023, which could potentially spur a new era of microgrid development. However, at present, the cost of installing and operating the solar panels and batteries and maintaining and fuelling the generators must be lower than what the firm would have spent on conventional power lines for PG&E to consider installing a microgrid.
The move follows the forced bankruptcy of the utility in 2019, after its transmission lines were linked to the starting of California’s deadliest-ever wildfire, as the state has mandated PG&E to prevent future disasters. California’s utilities have spent billions on burying key power lines, clearing trees and underbrush, and protecting overhead lines to prevent wildfires. However, this investment has forced utilities to increase consumer costs. This has led several utilities to seek out alternative ways to deliver clean, safe power to consumers, such as through the rollout of microgrids.
The new generation of technology is expected to improve microgrid efficiency. For example, artificial intelligence (AI) can help manage the balance between different energy sources, such as solar, battery storage and generators. AI can be used to analyse current and projected energy production and demand to optimise energy flows and ensure efficient energy distribution. This is expected to reduce waste and ensure a stable supply of energy. It can also be used to improve microgrid sustainability to optimise the use of renewable energy sources.
By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com
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Here are more “ETs” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Here is More Climate News from Sunday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)