Weathering the Storm: Extreme Weather Tests Our Energy Grid

Putting Reliability to the Test

While the NERC Winter Reliability Assessment indicated that the U.S. should have enough energy for normal peak load, a concerning note revealed that large parts of the country are at risk for electricity supply shortfalls if they experience extreme weather.

That’s a big if since extreme weather events are no longer isolated incidents; they are recurring threats, hitting with more frequency and greater intensity. Extreme weather events, including hurricanes, polar vortexes, heatwaves, and wildfires, pose significant challenges for energy infrastructure. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that the cost of weather disasters in 2023 at $23 billion.

At the most fundamental level, extreme weather events can cause physical damage to power plants, substations, transmission lines and other grid infrastructure resulting in widespread outages and service disruptions. Depending on the level of destruction, power outages can drag on for weeks and restoration of power plants, substations and more complex infrastructure can take months. Beyond personal inconvenience, prolonged outages can endanger lives, impact livelihoods, business continuity, and public health and safety.

Surges in energy demand during cold snaps or heat waves place strains on the grid, impacting reliability. Texans can certainly recall the energy crisis of 2021 when severe winter storms and extreme cold caused a massive energy generation failure and triggered prolonged blackouts across the state. The economic and social impact was devastating and more than 200 people died due to the cold. Further west, wildfires can impact grid reliability through their destruction as well as through preemptive power shutdowns in the interest of public safety and preservation of property.

Extreme weather can trigger disruptions in the supply chain, impacting energy production. For example, during hurricanes and extreme wind and rain, offshore drilling and the production of fossil fuels is often shut down and the transportation and delivery of fuel is impeded. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind turbines are effective under favorable weather conditions. However, during extreme weather events, these sources are not viable due to weather disruptions and the lack of storm resistance in much of the equipment.

Resilience & Innovation

While extreme weather events impact particular states or regions, energy security, accessibility, and reliability are national issues requiring national attention. A two-pronged approach focusing on resilience and mitigation is needed. While we can’t control the weather, there are many components of resilience which can be explored:

• Investments in advanced materials:
  Advanced materials, such as weather-resistant coatings, high-temperature superconductors, and corrosion-resistant metals, improve the durability and efficiency of power systems. These materials help equipment withstand harsh conditions, reducing failure rates during extreme weather events, though they add up-front costs.
• Smart grids:
  Smart grids leverage real-time data, automation, and advanced communication technology to improve system monitoring, fault detection, and load management. They enable faster recovery from outages and optimize power distribution during normal operations, boosting overall reliability.
• Energy storage:
  Batteries and other energy storage systems provide backup power during outages and stabilize the grid by balancing supply and demand. They are especially critical for integrating renewable energy, as they store excess energy from intermittent sources like wind and solar for later use. They tend to be viable for only short periods of time (usually about one day.)
• Measures such as burying power lines reduce vulnerability to wind and ice damage, while elevating substations in flood-prone areas protects vital infrastructure from water damage. These efforts directly mitigate the impact of extreme weather on the power grid.
• Investing in distributed energy and microgrids:
  Scaling up renewable energy forms and increasing energy efficiency are just two areas that can help mitigate the causes of extreme weather.

Preparing for the Future

The U.S. as well as individual cities continues to break their own records for warmest winters and hottest summers stoking conditions for more frequent, severe weather events. “Once-in-a-century” storms continue to strike and this trend line appears to be on a steady incline. The growing demand for energy along with the effects of dramatic heat and cold and other extreme weather exposes dangerous grid vulnerabilities that cannot be ignored. Decision-makers have challenging times ahead as they prioritize addressing immediate needs and long-term sustainability goals.