European solar power output set to dip during August 12 total eclipse

BAGHDAD, Iraq — European electricity grids are bracing for a temporary drop in solar power generation during a total solar eclipse on Wednesday, according to the Daily Mail. Energy networks across the continent are already under pressure from extreme summer heat and drought, and the eclipse is expected to add further strain as solar output falls. Grid operators in France and Spain are preparing to offset the anticipated decline with output from other sources. Spain's grid operator Red Eléctrica said the eclipse would reduce solar generation by about 5 gigawatts, equivalent to 13 percent of the country's typical peak Wednesday demand in August. In the United Kingdom, the local system operator said solar output could decline by as much as 1.3 gigawatts, roughly equal to the capacity of two nuclear reactors. Experts noted that nuclear and coal plants are already operating at reduced efficiency in the heat, while falling water levels have curtailed output at some hydroelectric facilities. The eclipse will first be visible over parts of the Iberian Peninsula, Greenland and Iceland on August 12, with the path of totality crossing the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean and northern Spain.