During extreme heat events, nighttime temperatures in the region's big cities are generally several degrees higher28 than surrounding regions, leading to increased heat - related death among those less able to recover from the heat of the day.36 Since the hottest days in the Northeast are often associated with high concentrations of ground - level ozone and other pollutants, 37 the combination of heat
stress and poor air quality can pose a major health risk to vulnerable groups: young children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions including asthma.29 Vulnerability is further increased as key
infrastructure, including
electricity for potentially life - saving air conditioning, is more likely to fail precisely when it is most needed — when demand exceeds available supply.
By reducing the demand for
electricity, energy efficiency programs also play a major role in increasing reliability of the
electricity system by reducing
stress on existing power plants and the transmission system and reducing the demand for new power plants and transmission
infrastructure.