Emissions Pressure Turns Oil Drillers into Grid Drainers

Something strange is happening in the U.S. oil patch. Oil drilling—an activity that has always been energy-intensive—has turned into a massive drain on the grid. The trend is an ironic twist to the U.S. grid problem, which is how to accommodate soaring demand for electricity in a non-inflatable grid. Last November, the North American Reliability Corp. warned that blackouts could happen in the winter as demand for electricity soars and supply is constrained by coal and gas plant retirements and the variable nature of wind and…