This strategy could also bolster public and policy support for renewable energy growth, as the study underscores. The findings emerge as debates continue around initiatives such as the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative, which aims to establish a multi-state grid operations and planning organization led by Western regulators.
"Extreme weather events disregard state and electric utilities' boundaries, and so will the solution needed to mitigate the impact," said study co-author Mareldi Ahumada-Paras, a postdoctoral scholar in energy science and engineering at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. "Greater regional cooperation can benefit reliability under wide-spread stress conditions."
Adapting to New Challenges
Electricity providers across the West face significant challenges due to increasingly unpredictable demand and resource availability. Factors such as the rise in extreme weather events, the rapid expansion of rooftop solar installations, and the accelerated growth of renewable energy sources like wind and solar have complicated grid management. These trends demand new strategies for operations and planning. Additionally, a mix of state and federal clean energy goals has created a patchwork of incentives that influence utilities differently.
"New grid management approaches can capitalize on the opportunities created by our rapidly changing electricity system and address increasing stress from extreme heat, drought, and other climate-related events," said study co-author Michael Mastrandrea, research director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program.
The study focused on a power grid that extends from the West Coast to the Great Plains and from western Canada to Baja California. Recent extreme heat waves and severe droughts have significantly stressed this grid and decreased hydropower availability.
Using power system optimization models, the researchers simulated grid operations during stress conditions similar to those experienced during a 2022 California heat wave, which saw record-breaking energy demand. Their findings indicate that expanding cooperation across the region could cut the risk of power outages by up to 40%, reduce unserved energy (when electricity demand exceeds supply) by more than half, and enhance overall grid reliability.
Implications for Policy and Public Perception
While the researchers caution that their estimates are "illustrative and directional" due to incomplete data, their results demonstrate the potential benefits of expanded utility cooperation. Enhanced collaboration could improve responses to local energy shortages and surpluses, offer more flexibility in managing unexpected disruptions, and ensure a reliable power supply during extreme weather events.
Moreover, increased cooperation among utilities could help maximize the value of the region's expanding renewable energy portfolio. The variable nature of renewable power generation-such as wind and solar-means that coordination across a larger area could ensure that this power is effectively utilized or stored for later use. The researchers warn that critics might blame renewable energy sources for major outages, potentially damaging public opinion and leading to policies that could slow the adoption or expansion of clean energy.
"Our work shows how greater cooperation isn't just about dollars and cents for utilities and their customers," said study co-author Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. "It's about keeping the lights on as we confront the challenge of the energy transition and the growing impacts of climate change."
Related Links
Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes
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