Factor This Preparing the grid for the climate of tomorrow
Jun 25, 2025
Laura Fischer and Andrea Staid from EPRI’s Energy Systems and Climate Analysis Group discuss the Climate READi initiative, which aims to bolster the power sector's resilience against climate risks. They highlight the collaborative efforts of over 40 utilities and various organizations in creating standardized guidance. The duo dives into the complexities of climate impacts on utility infrastructure and the need for improved data practices. They also emphasize the importance of workforce knowledge transfer and making climate data publicly accessible to enhance collaboration.
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Proactive Adaptation Saves Far More
- Proactive investments to adapt the grid yield far greater savings than reactive repairs after disasters.
- Prioritizing limited funds requires integrating climate into complex planning with other objectives like decarbonization and growing demand.
Connect Modelers, Climate Experts, And Asset Teams
- Form cross-disciplinary teams so climate scientists, asset experts, and system modelers communicate needs and outputs.
- Align assumptions and data requirements before running analyses to avoid integration gaps.
Incomplete Asset Data Limits Risk Mapping
- Utilities often lack complete, historical asset data needed to map climate risk to individual components.
- Missing details like pole locations, age, and maintenance history hinder accurate vulnerability assessments.