How Utilities Can Harness the Value of Next-Generation Climate Risk Analytics for Grid Planning

Leading utilities are taking action with the help of service providers and climate risk analytics companies such as Siemens and Jupiter Intelligence.

The electric power industry in recent years has experienced a significant shift toward higher renewable energy targets and lower carbon emissions. Many utilities, states, and communities are setting targets for nearly 100% renewable energy or (net) zero carbon. These goals require new, integrated approaches to planning that will ensure a reliable and resilient grid. Optimal solutions that balance reliability, sustainability and affordability often require comprehensive solutions across generation, transmission and distribution systems. Distributed resources and customer programs will also play a major role.

Given the evolving nature of climate change, and the increasing physical risks from resulting extreme weather events, the current approaches employed by utilities to ensure grid resilience no longer provide a complete perspective for future grid planning. Climate risk analytics backed by the latest scientific advancements and updated resilience planning frameworks exist to assist utilities with their long-term grid planning processes.