ABSTRACT
The Nation's electricity system is vulnerable to extreme weather and climate change. The increasing cost of power outages and damages requires the Nation to increase the pace, scale and scope of electricity resilience investments. This chapter characterizes the hazards affecting the electricity system and impacting society, the economy, and energy and national security. Resilience strategies are discussed including hardening infrastructure, adoption of resilient electricity technologies, and improved preparedness and planning. Analytical approaches for assessing the costs and benefits of resilience investments are presented, along with case studies. Gaps and opportunists for resilience improvements are highlighted, including the need for: access to extreme weather/climate data for resilience planning; development and deployment of cost-effective resilient electricity technologies; development and adoption of resilience-based design codes and standards for electricity infrastructure; consensus methods for monetizing the benefits of resilience investments; and, standardized resilience metrics for measuring resilience improvement. The direct benefits of resilience actions are presented as well as co-benefits including national security, economic growth, emergency preparedness, public health, transportation, communication, agricultural productivity, and ecosystem conservation, among others. The motivation and mechanisms to address electricity system vulnerabilities may vary across the nation and should be recognized in framing effective resilience strategies.
