A 2014 report says that extreme weather events, which often cause electricity outages, have become more common and costly in the United States over the past three decades.
When customers lose power during extreme weather events, the costs associated with lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, and restarting industrial operations can be significant. For example, weather-related power outages in 2012—when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast—cost the nation between $27 billion and $52 billion.
Inland flooding from extreme precipitation events also poses a major risk to electricity infrastructure, because power plants are sited near rivers and lakes.
The US electricity system— including the transportation networks that deliver fuel, the power plants that generate electricity, and the transmission and distribution lines that deliver power to homes and businesses—was not designed to withstand many of the extreme weather events occurring today.
Many parts of the electricity grid are old, outdated, and in poor condition, making the system even more vulnerable. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the overall U.S. energy infrastructure a grade of D+ in its 2013 assessment, reporting that it is “in poor to fair condition and mostly below standard . . . a large portion of the system exhibits significant deterioration”.
Ageing electrical equipment has contributed to a growing number of major outages, which rose from 76 in 2007 to 307 in 2011. Some 100 electric facilities in the contiguous United States, including power plants and substations, are sited within four feet of local high tide.
Consider, for example, the havoc wreaked on the electricity sector in October 2012 by Hurricane Sandy. The storm surge that rode in on higher sea levels caused record flooding along the coasts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. More than 8 million customers across 21 states lost power, and utilities reported damage to some 7,000 transformers and 15,200 poles.
The U.S. electricity sector is highly dependent on water for cooling. Nearly all thermal power plants—coal, natural gas, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, and solar thermal plants— require water for condensing the steam that drives the turbines. In fact, power production accounts for the single largest share—two-fifths—of all freshwater withdrawals in the United States.
When water used to condense steam at power plants is too hot or supplies shrink, the plants run into trouble. US Operators have had to shut down or curtail production at 23 power plants in 10 years because the water temperature was too warm. Another 12 plants did not have access to enough water for their operation. These included Nuclear, Thermal and Hydroelectric plants.
When customers lose power during extreme weather events, the costs associated with lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, and restarting industrial operations can be significant. For example, weather-related power outages in 2012—when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast—cost the nation between $27 billion and $52 billion.
Inland flooding from extreme precipitation events also poses a major risk to electricity infrastructure, because power plants are sited near rivers and lakes.
The US electricity system— including the transportation networks that deliver fuel, the power plants that generate electricity, and the transmission and distribution lines that deliver power to homes and businesses—was not designed to withstand many of the extreme weather events occurring today.
Many parts of the electricity grid are old, outdated, and in poor condition, making the system even more vulnerable. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the overall U.S. energy infrastructure a grade of D+ in its 2013 assessment, reporting that it is “in poor to fair condition and mostly below standard . . . a large portion of the system exhibits significant deterioration”.
Ageing electrical equipment has contributed to a growing number of major outages, which rose from 76 in 2007 to 307 in 2011. Some 100 electric facilities in the contiguous United States, including power plants and substations, are sited within four feet of local high tide.
Consider, for example, the havoc wreaked on the electricity sector in October 2012 by Hurricane Sandy. The storm surge that rode in on higher sea levels caused record flooding along the coasts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. More than 8 million customers across 21 states lost power, and utilities reported damage to some 7,000 transformers and 15,200 poles.
The U.S. electricity sector is highly dependent on water for cooling. Nearly all thermal power plants—coal, natural gas, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, and solar thermal plants— require water for condensing the steam that drives the turbines. In fact, power production accounts for the single largest share—two-fifths—of all freshwater withdrawals in the United States.
When water used to condense steam at power plants is too hot or supplies shrink, the plants run into trouble. US Operators have had to shut down or curtail production at 23 power plants in 10 years because the water temperature was too warm. Another 12 plants did not have access to enough water for their operation. These included Nuclear, Thermal and Hydroelectric plants.
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