LVXXU

Chapter II: Increasing the Resilience, Reliability, Safety, and Asset Security of TS&D Infrastructure
Figure 2-4. Gulf Coast Electricity Substation Facilities’ Exposure to Storm Surge under Different Sea-Level Rise
23, 24, f, g
Scenarios
Louisiana
Texas
Gulf of Mexico
Area Exposed to Storm Surge
from Category 1 Hurricanes:
Baseline Vulnerability
2030 Vulnerability
2050 Vulnerability
2060 Vulnerability
0 5 10 20
Miles
0 5 10 20
Kilometers
Electrical Substations Exposed to
Storm Surge from Category 1 Hurricanes:
Substations Not Exposed
Baseline Vulnerability
2030 Vulnerability
2050 Vulnerability
2060 Vulnerability
Substation
Capacity Max kV
0 - 150
150 - 350
350 - 750
> 750
Sea-level rise increases the vulnerability of electricity substations to inundation caused by hurricane storm surge. Future vulnerabilities correspond
with a high-end sea-level rise scenario of 10 inches in 2030, 23 inches in 2050, and 32 inches in 2060. The baseline vulnerability corresponds with
sea levels in 1992.
Other extreme weather events that are projected to increase with climate change and have regional and
possibly national-scale impacts include extreme heat waves, droughts, and wildfires that can damage
electricity infrastructure or reduce transmission efficiency. U.S. temperatures are projected to continue rising
in the coming decades. 25 Electricity transmission and distribution systems carry less current and operate
less efficiently when ambient air temperatures are higher. 26 Case studies indicate that sudden, extreme heat
can cause transformers to malfunction or stop working. 27 Increasing temperatures also will likely increase
electricity demand for cooling, which could increase utilization of transmission and distribution systems
during peak demand periods. Increasing air and water temperatures also reduce the efficiency of power
plant cooling, which increases the risk of partial or full shutdowns of generation facilities and loss of the grid
services that they provide during heat waves. 28
f
The Platts Electric Substation data contains point features representing a total of 55,819 electric transmission, sub-transmission, and
some distribution substations in North America. These substations can be located on the surface within fenced enclosures, within
special purpose buildings, on rooftops (in urban environments), or underground.
g
Areas inundated by hurricane storm surge do not account for local land subsidence, which will further increase the exposure of
infrastructure in this region. Note that 2030, 2050, and 2060 vulnerabilities correspond with 10 inches, 23 inches, and 32 inches of
sea-level rise, respectively. Zero sea-level rise corresponds with sea levels in 1992.
2-10 QER Report: Energy Transmission, Storage, and Distribution Infrastructure | April 2015