Sign In or Create an Account.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy

Sparks

Every Single Day of 2023 Was Extraordinarily Hot

Here are some more numbers from today’s big temperature announcement.

•
Extreme heat.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

You have almost certainly heard already that 2023 was, officially, the hottest year on record. That announcement came this morning from Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth data service.

There was another figure in that announcement, however, that caught my eye: 2023 was also the first year in which every single day was at least 1 degree Celsius hotter than the pre-industrial average.

Chart of 2023 daily average temperatures relative to pre-industrial average.

That is a marked contrast to 2022, our sixth hottest year on record, which had several days less than 1 degree above the pre-industrial average and a maximum temperature difference around half a degree lower than last year’s.

Chart of 2022 daily average temperatures relative to pre-industrial average.

Just for kicks, I decided to make the same chart for 1940, the earliest year represented in this particular dataset. As you will perhaps notice, I had to adjust the scale to account for temperatures below the pre-industrial average.

Chart of 2022 daily average temperatures relative to pre-industrial average.

The last time the global daily average temperature came in below the pre-industrial average, according to the Copernicus data, was October 8, 1992.

You’re out of free articles.

Use code: CWNYC30 to save 30%.
Subscribe to access Heatmap’s exclusive polling and expert analysis of energy, climate change, and sustainability, now just $99/year $69.30/year.
To continue reading
Create a free account or sign in to unlock more free articles.
or
Please enter an email address
By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy
Sparks

The Fed’s First Rate Hike Since 2023 Is a Problem for Renewables

And the news gets worse.

•
Kevin Warsh.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

The Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate by a quarter point, the central bank announced Wednesday afternoon, its first rate change since Chairman Kevin Warsh took his seat in May and its first rate hike in over three years.

The federal funds rate will now sit between 3.75% and 4%. According to projections by regional Federal Reserve presidents and members of the Board of Governors, the central bank expects to hike rates one more time this year.

Keep reading...Show less
Blue
Sparks

Why SoCal Electricity Customers Are Paying for Utility Reforms

The August Electricity Price Hub data is in.

•
The Hollywood sign and power lines.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

It’s another hot and expensive summer.

Across the country, average household electricity bills are up 2.7% in the first eight months of the year, according to the latest update to Heatmap and MIT’s Electricity Price Hub, tacking on $4 per month to the typical bill. This level of rise is consistent with the pace set in 2024 and 2025, but faster than 2021 and 2023.

Keep reading...Show less
Blue
Sparks

The Startup Behind Lamppost-Mounted EV Chargers Pulls Into the Garage

Voltpost announced two new models today designed to mount on walls and ceilings.

•
Voltpost chargers.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

Voltpost, the company putting electric vehicle chargers on lampposts, is now expanding to parking garages.

On Wednesday, the company unveiled two new configurations that can attach to the walls and ceilings of parking garages, lots, and other locations without easy access to streetlights or utility poles. Like Voltpost’s signature pole-mounted design, the ceiling- and wall-mounted options avoid the expensive construction work required by freestanding charging infrastructure. In theory at least, that should allow the company to deploy more chargers faster.

Keep reading...Show less
Blue