Climate Change, Severe Weather, and Outages

According to the PBS series “Weathered”, the source of widespread power outages is not usually near the main power stations but at the distribution points. These are the weakest points in the grid because they are most susceptible to high winds, tree strikes, freezing, lightning, and wildfire - all of which are becoming increasingly common as consequences of climate change.

Hurricane Sandy in 2012 is one example of the widespread impact weather has on our power infrastructure. During this storm, over 2 million customers (90%) lost power for up to 18 days due to a third or more of the switching stations, transmission lines, and substations being damaged or flooded. It took 1200 full time workers to repair and restore everything after the storm. 

Because of the strength and widespread impact from Hurricane Sandy, public interest in the impacts of climate change on weather began to grow. 

The World Weather Attribution (WWA) is a group of climate scientists that researches and reports on whether climate change is making extreme weather worse, and by how much with the goal of informing the public, policy makers, and urban planners. This group created a peer-reviewed methodology in order to conduct research and publish findings to the public more efficiently. A couple of their findings include:

• In 2017 Hurricane Harvey dumped as much as 60 inches of rain in the Houston area, exceeding previous records

  • 1. 1. • climate change had added 15 percent more rainfall

          • advised governments in regions prone to hurricanes to make upgrades to evacuation routes, building codes and power grids

• In 2021 during the heatwave in the Pacific Northwest

  • 1. 1. • record-breaking circumstances would have been almost impossible without human-caused climate change

          • This type of extreme heat event causes more strain on the power grid, which can lead to PSPS or grid failure

Several regions in the United States have had their share of weather-related power outages in 2023 already. Vivian Do and a group of researchers at Columbia University examined how power outages overlapped with severe weather. 

They found:

• Heavy precipitation makes a power outage 5 times more likely

• Tropical cyclones make a power outage 14 times more likely

• Tropical cyclone with heavy precipitation on a hot day (like the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast) make power outages 52 times more likely

In both emergency and planned scenarios, power outages are a trend we could do without. 

As climate change continues to cause more extreme weather, examining the impacts of extended outages and finding a solution for our homes is becoming more of a necessity. 

How can we help ourselves and our communities be more resilient as the grid strains to keep up with demand and major events?

In this article:

• Bay Area Power Outages in 2023

• Impacts on families and communities

• Potential Solutions

• Resources

Impacts on Families and Communities

We don’t really need to point out that the forecast of an upcoming storm or severe temperatures is stressful for everyone - you’re probably here because you’ve experienced that stress firsthand. 

From preparing basic supplies (not knowing how long the power outage will last), to figuring out the logistics with work and family (not knowing if schools or offices will be open) the unknowns and limited resources make power outages extremely disruptive to our daily lives. 

Additionally, extended power outages impact the economy. The Department of Energy estimates that power outages cost the U.S. economy about $150 billion a year. 

For individuals or families depending on revenue from their small family business or on income from hourly wages, extended power outages can cause significant financial setbacks.

Potential Solutions

Let’s explore some potential solutions for your whole home or small business so that your safety, comfort, and livelihood don’t have to be at the mercy of the uptick in power outages. 

1. Portable Gas Generators

If you have infrequent outages and only need to backup limited appliances and are ok with manual setup/fueling; portable generators provide an entry level solution to keep your fridge and some plug in appliances/lights powered up. If you’re exploring this option or shopping around, see our articles on [link: generator sizing and inverter generators].

2. Standby Gas Generators

Standby gas generators have been the default solution for backup power for many years. They can be sized to provide whole-house backup, and will automatically restore power after a short delay. When they are running they come with noise, operating cost, and maintenance trade-offs.

3. Solar + Battery

Installing a solar system to your home is a long-term investment, but if your home is a good candidate, it might be worth considering. Under the new Solar NEM 3.0 rules in California (effective April 2023), ROI periods have increased. However, pairing solar with battery storage, you can store the excess solar production during the day to power your house through the peak rates/evenings and power your home during outages.

4. Microgrids

For weathering multi-day outages, especially during the shorter solar production days of winter, installing a microgrid (solar + battery + generator) is your best bet. As a whole-house backup solution, this combination system saves you more money and adds redundancy compared to any other combinations above.