The stats don’t lie; natural disasters are on the rise and their severity is increasing. In 2019, the United States experienced 14 natural disasters, each causing damages of over $1 billion. These disasters included severe weather events, hailstorms, wildfires, flooding, tornadoes, tropical storms, hurricanes and earthquakes, all of which can threaten the reliability and stability of the electric power system.
Globally, the World Health Organisation reports that 90,000 people are killed, and close to 160 million people worldwide affected annually by tsunamis, landslides, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, heat waves and droughts.
Around the world, certain types of disasters are anticipated to increase in frequency and scale. These include:
- Wildfires: California and other US states on the West Coast and in the Mountain West are dealing with heightened and extreme droughts, dryness and wildfires.
- Hurricanes: North Carolina and other US states in the Southeast are experiencing more frequent tropical storms and hurricanes.
- Other: Countries in Asia and Africa are also suffering from extreme weather such as severe typhoons, cyclones or heat waves. Recent heat waves occurring in India and across countries in Asia are also causing a heightened awareness of the types of threats that can negatively impact the energy system.
The need for resilience
As a result of the increased severity of natural disasters, some utilities and government entities are turning to microgrids to power critical systems and facilitate the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs). Microgrids are one tool in the energy toolbox among many which can be harnessed to increase grid resilience against natural disasters.
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