Resilient Power Project Webinar: Severe Weather and the Reliability of the US Electric Power Grid

Three years after Hurricane Sandy left millions stranded without power throughout the Northeast, the electric power system still remains highly vulnerable to prolonged disruptions in the wake of severe weather. Federal and state policies have directed millions of dollars in investments towards advanced smart grid technologies and improving the reliability of the U.S. electric grid; however, there has been little work done to examine whether these efforts have helped achieve their desired results – fewer communities left in the dark when disaster strikes.

Clean Energy Group hosted a webinar on this topic featuring guest speaker Peter Larsen, Research Scientist in the Electricity Markets and Policy Group at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Mr. Larsen presented findings from his recently published study examining U.S. electric power system reliability, Assessing Changes in the Reliability of the U.S. Electric Power System. The findings of the study suggest a correlation between severity of major weather events and an increase in duration of power outages, and explores the effectiveness of certain grid reliability efforts.

This webinar was a presentation of Clean Energy Group’s Resilient Power Project. This webinar is the first in a series of three marking the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. For more information, please visit www.resilient-power.com.