{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"geography":["Southeast"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'Southeast' for facet 'geography' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":65,"relation":"eq"},"page":4,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?geography=Southeast&page=4","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"eninnova-000235","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/eninnova-000235","title":"MEETING GROWING ELECTRICITY DEMAND WITHOUT GAS","publisher":{"name":"Energy Innovation","organization":"energy-innovation"},"document_type":"briefing","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/MEETING-GROWING-ELECTRICITY-DEMAND-WITHOUT-GAS.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The document addresses the recent surge in U.S. electricity demand driven by data centers, manufacturing, and electric vehicles. It warns that utilities are defaulting to new gas plants, which risks creating stranded assets and conflicting with climate goals. The authors propose a portfolio of alternatives, including aggressive energy efficiency, the reuse of fossil fuel interconnection sites for renewables, demand response with large customers, and grid-enhancing technologies to improve existing transmission infrastructure.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eninnova-000235#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"After a long period of stagnation, U.S. electricity demand is growing rapidly, with the North American Reliability Corporation projecting a 215 percent increase over the next 10 years.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eninnova-000235#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Some utilities are responding to demand growth by planning significant new gas capacity; for example, Georgia Power's 2023 IRP calls for 1,400 MW of new gas by winter 2026-2027, and Duke Energy's draft IRP plans for 8,900 MW of additional new gas by 2035.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eninnova-000235#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Energy efficiency is a critical tool for mitigating demand growth, as evidenced by the period between 2008 and 2023 where utility efficiency programs reduced annual demand by approximately 220 TWh per year.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eninnova-000235#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"There is significant potential to accelerate clean energy deployment by reusing existing interconnection infrastructure at retiring fossil fuel sites, with RMI estimating 250 GW of potential clean energy projects, particularly in the Southeast.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eninnova-000235#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Grid-enhancing technologies and reconductoring can provide faster, lower-cost alternatives to new transmission builds, with reconductoring capable of nearly doubling transmission capacity within one to three years.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eninnova-000235#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Demand response, particularly with large customers like data centers, can address short-duration peak capacity shortfalls without requiring new gas 'peaker' units.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eninnova-000235#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Utility business models and regulatory incentives often skew decisions toward gas plants because vertically integrated for-profit entities use capital expenditures as a primary growth engine and may lack incentives for demand-reduction solutions.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eninnova-000235#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["electric energy consumption","energy efficiency","renewable energy","battery energy storage system","distributed generation","demand response","electric power transmission","stranded asset","renewable electricity","Resource adequacy","wide area synchronous grid"],"geography_discussed":["Georgia","Arizona","North Carolina","Virginia","Texas","California","Colorado","South Carolina","Tennessee","Oregon","Nebraska","Southeast","West"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["policy analysis","regulatory briefing"]},{"id":"ucs-000944","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ucs-000944","title":"The Energy-Water Collision","publisher":{"name":"Union of Concerned Scientists","organization":"union-of-concerned-scientists"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/power-and-water-at-risk-with-endnotes.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The U.S. electricity system relies heavily on freshwater, with cooling power plants accounting for 41 percent of all freshwater withdrawals. This dependence creates a 'collision' where energy production competes with municipal, agricultural, and ecosystem needs, a situation exacerbated by global warming. The report details regional risks—such as hydropower instability in the Northwest and cooling water shortages in the Southeast—and highlights low-water alternatives like wind, solar photovoltaic, and dry-cooling systems.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000944#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Cooling power plants represent the single largest use of freshwater withdrawals in the United States, accounting for 41 percent of the total.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000944#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Water dependence creates operational risks for power plants; during droughts or heat waves, plants may be forced to reduce output or shut down if cooling water is unavailable or too warm to be safely discharged.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000944#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"In the Southeast, the power sector is particularly water-intensive, with power plants accounting for two-thirds of all freshwater withdrawals in the region.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000944#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The Northwest's reliance on hydropower (over 60 percent of its electricity) is threatened by global warming, which is expected to reduce snowpack and runoff, leading to more erratic seasonal streamflows.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000944#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"In the Great Plains, the High Plains Aquifer is being depleted at an unsustainable rate, with 17 billion gallons pumped daily, increasing competition between power plants and other water users.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000944#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The report identifies three main cooling technologies: once-through systems (high withdrawal, high thermal impact), recirculating/closed-loop systems (lower withdrawal, high evaporation), and dry-cooling systems (up to 90 percent less water use, but higher cost and lower efficiency).","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000944#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Transitioning to 'water-smart' energy—including wind, solar photovoltaic, and energy efficiency—can reduce the electricity sector's drain on water resources and mitigate the risks of power disruptions.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000944#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["hydropower","wind power","photovoltaics","energy efficiency","climate change","drought","nuclear power","coal-fired power station"],"geography_discussed":["Northwest","Southwest","Great Plains","Midwestern United States","Northeastern United States","Southeast","California","Colorado","Texas"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["risk assessment","regional analysis","technological comparison"]},{"id":"ucs-001227","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ucs-001227","title":"Microsoft Word - greatplains.doc","publisher":{"name":"Union of Concerned Scientists","organization":"union-of-concerned-scientists"},"document_type":"fact sheet","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/us-global-climate-change-report-greatplains.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The Great Plains region has experienced increasing average temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns, with winter temperatures in northern states rising by more than 6°F over the last 30 years. Climate change is projected to exacerbate the depletion of the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer, particularly in the southern region where unsustainable water use and extreme heat are already prevalent. Agriculture and livestock are highly vulnerable; rising temperatures are expected to shift crop zones, increase pest prevalence, and reduce livestock yields, with a projected 10% decline in cow/calf and dairy operations under higher emissions scenarios. Ecosystems, specifically prairie potholes and playa lakes, face threats from altered evaporation and recharge rates, which impacts migratory birds and aquifer replenishment. The document also highlights the vulnerability of 65 Native American tribes on rural lands facing water quantity and quality issues.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001227#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The Great Plains has seen a rise in average temperatures, most notably in the northern states where winter temperatures increased by over 6 degrees Fahrenheit during the last 30 years.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001227#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Water resources in the region are unsustainable, as the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer is being depleted faster than it can recharge, with an average daily pump rate of 19 billion gallons.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001227#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Since 1950, aquifer water levels have dropped by an average of 13 feet (a 9% decrease in storage), with much steeper declines of 100 to over 250 feet in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001227#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Climate change is expected to negatively impact livestock production; under higher emissions scenarios (warming of 9 to 11ºF), cow/calf and dairy operations in the southern Plains, Southeast, and Appalachia could see a 10% yield decline.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001227#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Agricultural productivity is threatened by shifting optimal crop zones, the northward spread of pests, and heat stress; for example, crops like tomatoes can suffer reduced yield or quality if daytime maximums exceed 90°F during critical reproductive stages.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001227#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Prairie potholes and playa lakes, which are critical for migratory birds and aquifer recharge, are threatened by climate-driven changes in evaporation and runoff, as well as human activities like urban sprawl and agricultural drainage.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001227#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Native American populations in the region, comprising 65 tribes, are particularly vulnerable due to limited resources and existing problems with water quality and quantity.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-001227#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["climate change","drought","water resource","agriculture","crop yield","wind power","biodiversity loss","climate justice"],"geography_discussed":["Appalachia","Southeast","Mississippi Delta"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["impact assessment","climate projection"]},{"id":"wri-000226","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/wri-000226","title":"Southeast Energy Consumption by Fuel, 2006","publisher":{"name":"World Resources Institute","organization":"world-resources-institute"},"document_type":"fact sheet","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://www.wri.org/data/southeast-energy-consumption-fuel-2006","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"In 2006, the Southeast region's energy consumption was approximately 80 percent dependent on fossil fuels, which was slightly lower than the national average of 85 percent. The regional mix was characterized by higher proportions of coal and nuclear energy and a lower proportion of natural gas relative to the national average.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-000226#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"In 2006, fossil fuel sources accounted for approximately 80 percent of total energy consumption in the Southeast, a figure slightly lower than the national average of 85 percent.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-000226#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["fossil fuel","coal","nuclear power","natural gas","renewable energy","geothermal energy","wind power","photovoltaics"],"geography_discussed":[],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["descriptive"]},{"id":"wri-001073","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/wri-001073","title":"Southeast Freshwater Withdrawals, By Use Category, 2000","publisher":{"name":"World Resources Institute","organization":"world-resources-institute"},"document_type":"fact sheet","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://www.wri.org/data/southeast-freshwater-withdrawals-use-category-2000","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","geography_discussed"],"summary":{"text":"In 2000, thermoelectric power plants in the Southeast United States withdrew nearly 40 billion gallons of freshwater daily, accounting for approximately 65 percent of all withdrawals in the region. These plants, which utilize coal, oil, gas, nuclear, or biomass fuels, consumed nearly 140 billion gallons of water annually through evaporation losses.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001073#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Thermoelectric power plants in the Southeast withdrew nearly 40 billion gallons of freshwater daily in 2000, representing approximately 65 percent of all withdrawals in the region. This daily volume is nearly equivalent to the total daily freshwater withdrawals for public supply in the entire United States.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001073#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Water withdrawn by thermoelectric power plants—which use biomass, nuclear, gas, oil, or coal fuels—is used for cooling, with a portion being consumed via evaporation. In the Southeast, these plants consumed nearly 140 billion gallons of water annually through evaporation, a volume equal to the annual water use of over 1 million homes.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wri-001073#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":[],"geography_discussed":["United States"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":[]}]}