America's changing power grid faces a powerful El Niño

A powerful El Niño strengthening in the tropical Pacific is expected to last into spring 2027, NOAA says, bringing wetter conditions to California and the Southwest and warmer weather to the northern U.S. The grid now has more solar, wind, and battery storage than during the last major El Niño, and a March study found super El Niños cut solar output by nearly 5% in parts of California over 12 months, and over 10% in the state's north during winter.