Compound climate events transform electrical power shortfall risk in the Pacific Northwest

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 8
• Main Authors: Turner, S. W. D., Voisin, N., Fazio, J., Hua, D., Jourabchi, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.01.2019; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 704/844/4066/4078; 704/844/682; 704/844/841; 706/2805; 706/4066/4080; Climate change; Electric power; Energy demand; ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydroelectric power; Hydroelectric power generation; multidisciplinary; Peak load; Power failures; Risk; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seasonal variations; Summer; System reliability; Water availability; United States > US; Pacific Northwest
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07894-4

Power system reliability is sensitive to climate-driven variations in both energy demand and water availability, yet the combined effect of these impacts is rarely evaluated. Here we show that combined climate change impacts on loads and hydropower generation may have a transformative effect on the nature and seasonality of power shortfall risk in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Under climate change, potential shortfall events occur more readily, but are significantly less severe in nature. A seasonal reversal in shortfall risk occurs: winter shortfalls are eradicated due to reduced building heating demands, while summer shortfalls multiply as increased peak loads for day-time cooling coincide with impaired hydropower generation. Many of these summer shortfalls go unregistered when climate change impacts on loads and hydropower dispatch are analyzed in isolation—highlighting an important role of compound events. Climate change will affect both the demand for electrical power and the generating capabilities of hydropower plants. Here the authors investigated the combined impact of these effects in the US Pacific Northwest by considering the dynamics of the regional  power grid, where they reveal a profound impact of climate change on power shortfall risk by the year 2035.