Europe's extreme heat is shutting down power plants

- Many power plants, especially nuclear and gas-fired ones, rely on large amounts of water for cooling (typically from rivers). During extreme heatwaves, river water gets too warm to effectively cool the plant, and environmental regulations prevent releasing water above certain temperatures back into rivers to avoid killing aquatic life. - This is a growing problem across Europe: during recent summer heatwaves, countries like France, Germany, and Spain have had to reduce output or temporarily shut down reactors and other thermal plants, just when demand for electricity surges (for air conditioning). - Nuclear plants are especially vulnerable because they require precise cooling; the same heat that strains the grid also undermines its largest sources of baseload power. - The broader context: climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and severe, meaning power system planners must rethink plant siting, cooling technology, and how much backup capacity is needed for hot days.