by Brianna Crandall — March 14, 2014—The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report examining the vulnerability of the nation’s energy infrastructure to climate change impacts, including determining measures that can reduce climate-related risks and adapt energy infrastructure to climate change, and determining the role of the federal government in adapting energy infrastructure.
According to assessments by the National Research Council and the U.S. Global Change Research Program, U.S. energy infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to a range of climate change impacts—particularly infrastructure in areas prone to severe weather and water shortages. Climate changes are projected to affect infrastructure throughout the energy supply chain, thereby increasing the risk of disruptions.
For example, the report noted that electricity generation infrastructure, such as power plants, is vulnerable to severe weather or water shortages, which can interrupt operations. It also noted that electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, including power lines and substations, is also susceptible to severe weather and may be further stressed by rising demand for electricity as temperatures rise.
GAO found that a number of measures exist to help reduce climate-related risks and adapt the nation’s energy systems to weather and climate-related impacts. These options generally fall into two broad categories: hardening and resiliency. Hardening measures involve physical changes that improve the durability and stability of specific pieces of infrastructure. In contrast, resiliency measures allow energy systems to continue operating after damage and allow them to recover more quickly; for example, installing back-up generators to restore electricity more quickly after severe weather events.
GAO determined that although the federal government has a limited role in directly adapting energy infrastructure to the potential impacts of climate change, key federal entities can play important supporting roles that can influence private companies’ infrastructure decisions. The federal government can influence private companies’ planning and investment decisions through providing information, regulatory oversight, technology research and development, and market incentives and disincentives. The report noted that key federal entities have begun to take steps to address the issues.
The GAO report, Climate Change: Energy Infrastructure Risks and Adaptation Efforts, is available on the GAO Web site.
