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Heat and energy grids

Extreme heat affects electricity grids and energy systems. Grid resilience can help ensure that power disruptions are minimal and do not affect critical services.

The content below examine the impacts of high temperatures on generation, transmission, and distribution, as well as rising cooling demand and the risk of outages during heat events. The materials below highlight vulnerabilities, cascading effects, and approaches to strengthening grid resilience under increasing heat stress.

Power lines frozen under moderate snow
Update
Using historical weather data to optimize power grid

Information about past outlier conditions could provide valuable context to help operators better manage the grid during extreme weather.

Texas A&M University System
Update
USA: How do power grids beat the summer heat?

AC use during heat waves can increase electricity consumption drastically, raising questions about long-term planning and sustainability for U.S. grid operators.

Union of Concerned Scientists
Update
Australia: 35 degree days make blackouts more likely, but new power stations won’t help

Research shows that Australians are without power for 3.5 times longer on days over 35°C. Politicians, buffered by upset consumers, often blame outages on a lack of electricity generation capacity, but local network problems are usually the culprit.

Conversation Media Group, the
Documents and publications
Case study 6 report: Critical energy infrastructures

This case study investigates the actual and potential market for climate services in the electricity subsector of the critical energy infrastructure sector in Germany. Critical energy infrastructures in general, and electricity infrastructures in

MArket Research for a Climate Services Observatory
Research briefs
U.S. West's power grid must be prepared for effects of climate change

According to the research by sustainability scientists Matthew Bartos and Mikhail Chester of Arizona State University, higher temperatures and increased intensity of droughts could compromise the electricity grid.

Arizona State University
Documents and publications
Toolkit for resilient cities: Case study - New York city electrical grid

This case study presents a high level review of the vulnerabilities in the electrical grid and the steps that could be taken to mitigate risk. It investigates the impacts of four types of natural hazards (drought, heat wave, wind and flood) on the

Siemens
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