Joanna Lee
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Research Mentor(s): Michael Craig
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: SEAS / SNRE
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 3 – 1:40pm – 2:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Joanna Lee, Michael Craig
Presenter: 88
Abstract
The increase of extreme weather events as a result of climate change is already causing noticeable effects around the country. From the Texas power crisis in 2021 brought on by a severe winter storm, it is evident that power utilities must prepare for weather events that historically would not have occurred. Currently, there is little research into how utilities are or are not preparing and responding to such events. Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) are plans created by utility companies to assess future electric demands and to outline strategies to meet those demands by considering both supply and demand-side resources. IRPs of utility companies across the U.S. were collected from company websites or from public case filings. Each IRP was read by a team of reviewers. Information related to climate change adaptation methods or climate change data used were found through reading or searching with the developed list of keywords. The information found was then categorized into a spreadsheet along with the page numbers. From the data collected, it is apparent that the majority of utility companies do not incorporate climate change adaptation into their plans. Most utilities continue to use historical weather data for load forecasting despite ample evidence that climate change causes deviations from these historical trends. Additionally, many IRPs mention climate change only in regards to mitigation efforts such as planning to reduce a company’s greenhouse gas emissions. Through reading IRPs and analyzing the data collected, it is clear that many utilities are ill-prepared for the effects of climate change on their systems. Utility companies must develop methods to prepare and adapt to these changes.
Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary
