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Released July 18, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Weather extremes have been a theme across much of North America, with everything from power transmission lines to refineries now under threat, data show. Industrial Info's Disaster Impact Tracker continues to track weather events across the region, from wildfires on the west coast to flooding along the Atlantic.
Thousands of wildfires are raging across California, the largest of which is the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County. It erupted July 5, has consumed nearly 40,000 acres of land, and was considered 42% under control as of Wednesday, California officials said.
In southern Kern County, where officials have opened cooling centers to cope with the 100-degree heat, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) issued warnings related to the Rancho and White wildfires, cautioning that flames were over major transmission lines.
Dede Subakti, a vice president for system operations at CAISO, said Tuesday that authorities began making emergency preparations at the start of July.
"California's power grid held up against prolonged record temperatures because of new clean energy resources, more battery storage, and enhanced coordination with state government--and the grid was also able to export energy to other states in need during this heat wave," he said.
There's been one fatality so far from the California wildfires. Further north, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency earlier this week for counties near the border of Washington, calling in first responders from out of state to deal with area wildfires.
Across the border in Canada, Industrial Info is on alert for any sector-related issues from wildfires racing across the western provinces. Officials in Alberta have enacted some limited evacuation orders in the northern forested areas, but there seems to be only a minor impact so far on the regional energy sector.
Much of Alberta's oil production was shut in during 2016 wildfires that triggered the largest evacuation in the nation's history.
Further east and it's another story. A derecho brought wind gusts of up to 105 miles per hour to parts of Illinois, with some passengers stranded at O'Hare International Airport due to a tornado warning.
The storms caused a power outage at Exxon Mobil Corporation's (NYSE:XOM) (Irving, Texas) 250,000 barrel-per-day (BBL/d) refinery in Joliet; while restoration efforts are underway, Industrial Info has no status on a full restart. Utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) (Chicago, Illinois) said there were still 82,000 customers without power as of Wednesday morning, with most of the outages reported in southern Illinois.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Petroleum Refining Plant Database can learn more about the Joliet refinery from a detailed plant profile.
What's left of that storm caused heavy flooding in the Toronto area, with parts of the city still dealing with power outages.
All that comes as the cleanup effort from Hurricane Beryl continues. Industrial Info believes Texas International Terminals is restarting operations at its 50,000-BBL/d facility in Galveston, a week after it was shuttered by the storm. Subscribers can read a detailed plant profile.
Hot, dry weather is expected for much of the U.S. West Coast, with parts of the Pacific Northwest under a Red Flag alert for excessive lightning. Dangerous heat has descended on parts of the U.S. south, while parts of the East Coast can expect severe thunderstorms this week.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Thousands of wildfires are raging across California, the largest of which is the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County. It erupted July 5, has consumed nearly 40,000 acres of land, and was considered 42% under control as of Wednesday, California officials said.
In southern Kern County, where officials have opened cooling centers to cope with the 100-degree heat, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) issued warnings related to the Rancho and White wildfires, cautioning that flames were over major transmission lines.
Dede Subakti, a vice president for system operations at CAISO, said Tuesday that authorities began making emergency preparations at the start of July.
"California's power grid held up against prolonged record temperatures because of new clean energy resources, more battery storage, and enhanced coordination with state government--and the grid was also able to export energy to other states in need during this heat wave," he said.
There's been one fatality so far from the California wildfires. Further north, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency earlier this week for counties near the border of Washington, calling in first responders from out of state to deal with area wildfires.
Across the border in Canada, Industrial Info is on alert for any sector-related issues from wildfires racing across the western provinces. Officials in Alberta have enacted some limited evacuation orders in the northern forested areas, but there seems to be only a minor impact so far on the regional energy sector.
Much of Alberta's oil production was shut in during 2016 wildfires that triggered the largest evacuation in the nation's history.
Further east and it's another story. A derecho brought wind gusts of up to 105 miles per hour to parts of Illinois, with some passengers stranded at O'Hare International Airport due to a tornado warning.
The storms caused a power outage at Exxon Mobil Corporation's (NYSE:XOM) (Irving, Texas) 250,000 barrel-per-day (BBL/d) refinery in Joliet; while restoration efforts are underway, Industrial Info has no status on a full restart. Utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) (Chicago, Illinois) said there were still 82,000 customers without power as of Wednesday morning, with most of the outages reported in southern Illinois.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Petroleum Refining Plant Database can learn more about the Joliet refinery from a detailed plant profile.
What's left of that storm caused heavy flooding in the Toronto area, with parts of the city still dealing with power outages.
All that comes as the cleanup effort from Hurricane Beryl continues. Industrial Info believes Texas International Terminals is restarting operations at its 50,000-BBL/d facility in Galveston, a week after it was shuttered by the storm. Subscribers can read a detailed plant profile.
Hot, dry weather is expected for much of the U.S. West Coast, with parts of the Pacific Northwest under a Red Flag alert for excessive lightning. Dangerous heat has descended on parts of the U.S. south, while parts of the East Coast can expect severe thunderstorms this week.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
