Electricity Providers Should Harden Distribution Grids, Says Department of Energy

Yesterday the Department of Energy released a detailed analysis of current vulnerabilities in the US grid and opportunities for alleviating weaknesses. The report states that problems caused recently by hurricane Sandy, as well as record high temperatures, famine, and wildfires will not be going away any time soon.

The Report highlights three major trends relevant to the energy sector: increasing air and water temperatures, decreasing water availability, and increasing intensity and frequency of storm events, flooding, and sea level rising.

Those in the distribution segment have seen the effects of extreme weather firsthand. Hurricane Sandy was estimated to cost over $450 million to restore power.  Millions are spent every year restoring power following tragic wildfires that claimed towns and neighborhoods in Colorado and California. Aged equipment is not holding up to the effects of extreme weather in any part of the country.

Building a less vulnerable grid involves efforts at every level of production, transmission, and distribution. On the distribution end, the report states a few clear opportunities for hardening and safeguarding:

• Operational and infrastructure improvements to enhance safety, reliability, and performance of transmission and distribution systems, including measures to create additional system capacity and redundancy
• Improved design standards for specific components of the smart grid and protective measures for lightning, wildfires, wind, flooding, and other extreme events
• Improved grid monitoring capabilities and dispatch protocols to manage more varied load scenarios and improve timely restoration of power
• Development and use of microgrids, controlled islanding, distributed generation, and technologies to maintain service and minimize system vulnerabilities in response to possible climate disruptions of the power grid
• Implement practices and technologies already improving resilience to climate change, such as storm-hardening of energy infrastructures

Articles/References

• Climate Change Could Put Energy Sources at Risk (Weather Channel)
• Trayer Engineering Corporation Storm Hardened Switchgear
• U.S. Energy Sector Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Extreme Weather (Department of Energy)
• A Stronger, More Resilient New York – Utilities Section (NYC Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency)