Disasters can impact electric grids with damaging economic, environmental, and public health consequences. Grid resilience can help ensure that power disruptions are minimal and do not affect critical services.
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory studied the 2021 Texas cold wave from another angle: how Texas and other parts of the country can improve power system planning and electricity market operations.
The increasing threat of climate change highlights the importance of reusable, efficient energy sources and power grid resilience. The emerging technology of microgrids offers a competitive, practical, and decentralized option.
Climatelinks
United States Agency for International Development
Microgrids are groups of homes and businesses that use, generate, and share electricity. When the main grid begins to fail, they can disconnect from the main grid and continue to operate in a so-called “islanding” mode.
Fast detection by a high-definition camera and AI analytics helped limit the spread of a California wildfire in August — a victory for new detection technologies. But can technology arrive fast enough to stay ahead of the spreading dangers?
Q&A with expert Eric Fournier who explains why the architecture of California’s grid isn’t well suited for such extreme conditions and what it would take to improve it.
Climate change in the USA is making extreme weather events more frequent and power grid is not expected to hold up well. Upgrades to make the grid more resilient are needed.
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