National Climate Assessment
I want to acknowledge Tuesday’s issuance of the federal government’s fifth National Climate Assessment. The report is a Congressionally-mandated, interagency effort to—in the words of its authors—report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses, and provide the scientific foundation to support informed decision-making across the U.S.
The report details the many ways in which the effects of human-caused climate change are already far-reaching and worsening. It is, in a word, sobering. Reading it as an energy regulator, I noted that the chapter on energy supply and delivery highlights trends we also are observing and have been for the last decade. First, much of today’s energy infrastructure was designed for the 20th century, making it vulnerable to climate impacts. Second, without mitigation and adaptation, projected increases in the frequency, intensity, duration, and variability of extreme events will amplify effects on energy system. And third, compound and cascading hazards related to energy systems and additional stressors, such as cyber and physical threats and pandemics, create risks for all, but disproportionately affect overburdened communities.
These findings ring true. These are the major drivers of much of our reliability work today—adapting and preparing our energy system to new stressors with which it has not had to contend. The report should serve as a reminder of the importance of our collective work and that the costs of inaction are high. The costs estimate almost $150 billion a year in damages and that is conservative. It is stated in the report that it is a conservative estimate.
NARUC Meeting
On a more positive note, we have some solutions available. I was out in California this week in Palm Springs at NARUC’s annual meeting. First, for the first time, I want to acknowledge that the leaders of the executive committee that were nominated and affirmed this week are all women. Commissioner Julie Fedorchak, Commissioner Tricia Pridemore, and Commissioner Ann Rendahl are the new President, First VP, and Second VP. Congratulations to them.
I was really encouraged to learn of President Fedorchak’s focus on gas-electric challenges and their relationship to system reliability. She announced the establishment of a new task force, to be chaired by Commissioner Pridemore, that affirms their view that gas-electric coordination issues are central to energy system reliability. That is a point that is made well in the recent NAESB report and also highlighted at least week’s reliability technical conference. I was really pleased to see that and I look forward to that and observing that progress.