White House Warns Climate Change a Threat to Power Grid

Says power outages causing nation billions

Power outages from severe weather events have cost the nation an average of $18 billion to $33 billion annually, according to a new Obama administration report that stresses the threat of climate change.

The report, which was prepared by the White House and the Energy Department, argues the nation needs to strengthen the power grid in response to the "increasing incidence of severe weather."

"These costs are expected to rise as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards and other extreme weather events," the report says.