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Cathy Wurzer

Power grids stressed by summer heat, storms across U.S.

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SONOMA, CA - JULY 24: Power towers are seen as July 24, 2006 in Sonoma, California. The California Independent System Operator declared a stage two power alert for all of California after available power had fallen to below five percent.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The oppressively hot weather around the country has left parts of New York City without electricity for 10 days. California residents were warned about involuntary rolling blackouts. In St. Louis, Missouri, more than half a million customers were left in the dark, and without air conditioning, after storms damaged its power grid last week.

Those developments raise the question of how the power grid in our region could stand up to a lengthy heat wave.

MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Stephen Kozey, vice president of the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator. Midwest ISO is an organization that manages the transmission of electricity in Minnesota, several other midwestern states and parts of Canada.

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Power towers are seen as July 24, 2006 in Sonoma,
SONOMA, CA - JULY 24: Power towers are seen as July 24, 2006 in Sonoma, California. The California Independent System Operator declared a stage two power alert for all of California after available power had fallen to below five percent.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images