Weather & Science
US Is Having Its Hottest Summer Ever Based on One Energy Metric
- Cooling degree days values are at the highest mark in 72 years
- Texas helping drive US energy needs as summer sears consumers
Workers install infrastructure under a tent during a heatwave in Austin, Texas on July 11.
Photographer: Jordan Vonderhaar/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
This year is shaping up to be one of the hottest on record for the US, based on a metric that’s crucial to energy traders.
The measure is known as cooling-degree days, and it is used to track how weather affects electricity demand. The higher the number, the more fuel needs to be used to cool homes and businesses.