FERC Announces Technical Conference to Discuss Impacts of Climate Change on Electric Reliability

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 5 announced that it will hold a technical conference in June to discuss the threat posed by climate change and extreme weather events on electric system reliability. The agency announced a proceeding to examine the issue following prolonged power outages across Texas and the south-central U.S. during the February winter storm.

Pointing to the “significant humanitarian consequences” of the prolonged power outages across Texas and the south-central states, FERC underscored the importance of reliable electric service to the economy, national security, and public health and safety.

The discussion will examine the increasing frequency, intensity, geographic expanse, and duration of weather-induced events in the power sector. The conference will address the specific challenges faced by different regions. For example, one region may face challenges from wildfires while another may experience weather-related fuel supply interruptions. FERC pointed to a recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which found that “extreme weather events topping $1 billion in estimated damages and costs are occurring with increasing frequency.”

Through the proceeding, the commission seeks to understand the near, medium and long-term challenges facing various U.S. regions, decisionmakers’ approaches to evaluate and address the challenges, and actions needed to enable the grid to withstand, respond to, and recover from weather events.

The conference will be held on June 1 and June 2 via teleconference and will be open to the public.