Weathering Adaptation: Grid Infrastructure Planning in a Changing Climate

Decisions related to electric power systems planning and operations rely on assumptions and insights informed by historic weather data and records of past performance. Evolving climate trends are, however, changing the energy use patterns and operating conditions of grid assets, thus altering the nature and severity of risks the system faces. Because grid assets remain in operation for decades, planning for evolving risks will require incorporating climate projections into grid infrastructure planning processes. The current work traces a pathway for climate-aware decision-making in the electricity sector. We evaluate the suitability of using existing climate models and data for electricity planning and discuss their limitations. We review the interactions between grid infrastructure and climate by synthesizing what is known about how changing environmental operating conditions would impact infrastructure utilization, constraints, and performance. We contextualize our findings by presenting a case study of California, examining if and where climate data can be integrated into infrastructure planning processes. The core contribution of the work is a series of nine recommendations detailing advancements in climate projections, grid modeling architecture, and disaster preparedness that would be needed to ensure that infrastructure planning decisions are robust to uncertainty and risks associated with evolving climate conditions.