As the southeast U.S. prepares for hurricane season, Canada grapples with wildfires, and Texas faces scorching temperatures under a heat dome, the resilience and reliability of the electric sector have become paramount.
This month marks the one-year anniversary of EPRI's Climate READi (REsilience and ADaptation initiative), which aims to develop a comprehensive framework to assess infrastructure vulnerability and necessary investments to withstand extreme weather events and a changing climate. By 2025, the Framework is expected to be one of the most robust and integrated approaches to physical climate risk assessment for the power industry.
Proactive resilience and adaptation planning is crucial in preventing future damage to the power system. It involves adopting a forward-looking mindset to make investment decisions today. By adjusting design criteria to consider the range of conditions an asset may encounter over its lifespan, utilities can better withstand adverse weather events. Proactive adaptation also brings financial advantages, as a recent study analyzed in a Climate READi white paper revealed that investing in resilience and reliability could result in a 50% reduction in repair costs for energy systems by the end of the century, saving over $7 billion annually.
During its inaugural year, Climate READi has grown rapidly, expanding from 14 founding members to over 40 member companies across the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, and France. Additionally, more than 60 stakeholders, including organizations like NARUC, NOAA, CAMPUT, and NERC, have joined in this collaborative effort to mitigate physical climate risk and ensure resilient energy infrastructure. Workstreams have focused on climate data and guidance, vulnerability assessment, and resilience planning. The initiative has already published numerous deliverables, including climate training modules and insights into extreme weather events such as cold snaps and heatwaves.
As extreme weather events increasingly impact energy infrastructure, the value of resilience will only grow in importance. EPRI encourages further participation in Climate READi to ensure the most relevant analysis and application of climate data. Looking ahead to its second year, the initiative plans to provide guidance for climate data selection and application, critical asset identification, and climate data assessment. By addressing the challenges posed by extreme weather and climate change, a more robust, equitable, and cost-efficient power system can be established to meet the needs of energy customers and communities relying on reliable power.
Source: utilitydive.com