Well-adapted energy system

• Asset siting: siting decisions can reduce the level of exposure of energy assets to climate hazards like flooding and drought. For energy infrastructure that requires water, siting these outside regions of expected water scarcity can help manage drought risks. For flooding, national planning policy requires that development is directed away from areas at highest risk and that, where this is not possible, any developments in a flood-risk area can be made safe for their lifetime.
• System design: for networks, building redundancy avoids single points of failure. For example, by connecting an area to more than one substation, or installing multiple supply points for CNI. Increased levels of international interconnection can enhance system flexibility during stress events such as extreme heat. Alongside this, system design must account for the possibility that interconnected countries experience stress-events simultaneously. Dimensioning the system appropriately and diversifying supply remains key.
• Infrastructure protection and asset hardening: this includes reinforcing existing energy assets, and designing new ones appropriately so they can operate safely under more frequent and intense weather extremes. For flooding, examples include flood barriers, elevating equipment, and improved drainage, raising the height of telemetry equipment and protecting pipes with rock armouring. For heat, examples include upgrading cooling systems, oversizing, and use of alternative battery chemistries, increasing pole or tower heights to reduce the impact of cables sagging during extreme heat. For high winds, examples include widening managed corridors in critical locations, selective undergrounding of overhead lines most exposed to high winds, and use of insulated cables for specific areas. For drought, examples include on-site water storage, water reuse and recycling schemes, investment in water transfer infrastructure, and retrofitting or modifying cooling technologies.

These adaptation actions are connected with adaptation in the water and wastewater system, and in the built environment and communities system.

• Regular inspections and preventive maintenance: identifying weather-related degradation early, such as corrosion, sag, or insulation wear, enables timely asset replacement and reduces failures. Prioritisation of assets for inspection and maintenance can also draw on climate risks. For instance, carrying out more regular pole inspections in wind-prone areas.
• Vegetation management: electricity and gas network operators have identified vegetation management as a low-regret option to respond to higher temperatures, wildfires, and windstorms. It prevents disruption caused by falling trees or debris during storms, or by trees coming into contact with sagging lines during heatwaves. It can also improve wildfire resilience. However, operators have noted it can be challenging to implement in areas where landowners and communities do not want trees cut back or removed. In some instances, trade-offs may be required between energy resilience, nature, and public acceptance.

These adaptation actions are connected with adaptation in the land system.

• Emergency response: actions to anticipate, respond to, and recover from extreme events include early warning systems, staff training and protection measures, and incident management protocols and processes. For asset owners, these protocols can include mechanisms that trigger communication with customers, enable movement of staff, or facilitate deployment of equipment, such as emergency pumps to remove floodwater. For customers, incident management protocols can be used to develop plans around loss or impairment of energy supplies. Testing and rehearsing plans can ensure that emergency procedures work in practice and that organisations are prepared to co-ordinate effectively. Continuous improvement of emergency response procedures is a low regret, cost-effective alternative to infrastructure upgrades when outages can be restored quickly.
• Backup power: can provide alternative sources of supply in the event of a power cut. This can include the use of generators, which are widely used already, or more innovative backup power approaches such as batteries, solar, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X). Appropriate stocks of backup energy can aim to match the potential estimated duration of supply interruptions. Facilities relying on batteries for backup power can ensure that storage systems are correctly sized and maintained at adequate levels. V2X allows for electric vehicles to operate bidirectionally, charging from the electricity grid but also discharging to the grid, building or home as needed. This enables users to shift demand and benefit from cheaper electricity. When a building or home also has the functionality to operate independently from the grid (known as ‘islanding’), V2X can enable the vehicle to act as a backup power source in a power cut. For public buildings, pilots such as Rural Energy Resilience V2X have tested the use of V2X for community warm spaces.

These adaptation actions are connected with adaptation in the economy and finance system.