This summer, the Western United States is experiencing high temperatures that are reminiscent of recent years’ rotating power outages and unprecedented electricity demand. Research conducted by the Climate and Energy Policy Program at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment suggests that expanding cooperation among utilities in the region could reduce the risk of power outages by up to 40%. This change could also help ensure public opinion and policy support for renewable energy growth. Initiatives like the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative aim to create a multi-state grid operations and planning organization to address these issues.
The study highlights how extreme weather events and other factors are challenging electricity providers in the West. Factors like unpredictable demand, rapid growth of renewable energy sources, and a patchwork of state and federal clean energy goals are contributing to the complexity of managing the grid. The researchers emphasize the need for new grid management approaches to capitalize on opportunities presented by the changing electricity system and address the increasing stress from extreme weather events like heatwaves and droughts.
The study focuses on the power grid spanning from the West Coast to the Great Plains and highlights the challenges posed by extreme heat events and severe droughts, which have strained the grid and reduced hydropower availability. Using power system optimization models, the researchers simulated grid operations under stress conditions, such as those experienced during a 2022 California heatwave. Their simulations showed that expanding cooperation among utilities could significantly reduce power outages, minimize unserved energy, and increase reliability.
The researchers acknowledge that their estimates are “illustrative and directional” due to incomplete information about how utilities will respond to stress conditions within specific service territories. However, they emphasize that expanded cooperation can improve responses to local shortages, enhance flexibility in managing disruptions, and ensure reliable electricity supply during extreme weather events. By maximizing the value of the region’s growing renewable energy portfolio, expanded cooperation can help address challenges like variable renewable power generation and mitigate concerns about power outages.
Expanding cooperation among utilities also has broader implications for policy and public opinion. The researchers note that renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which are integral to the region’s renewable energy portfolio, can be blamed for major power outages. This narrative could influence public opinion and policy decisions regarding the adoption and expansion of clean energy. The researchers stress the importance of greater cooperation not only for utilities and their customers but also for maintaining a reliable electricity supply amidst the energy transition and the impacts of climate change in the region.
Overall, the research underscores the need for greater regional cooperation among utilities in the Western United States to address challenges posed by extreme weather events, unpredictable demand, and the growth of renewable energy sources. By expanding cooperation, utilities can enhance reliability, improve responses to stress conditions, and maintain public support for renewable energy growth. Initiatives like the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative aim to facilitate coordinated efforts among Western regulators to create a more resilient and efficient grid system in the face of climate-related challenges.
