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Abstract: The issue of energy resiliency, critical infrastructure and microgrids affects all of us. Representing today's corporations, businesses and institutions of higher education, we need to understand our actions and our roles as the impact the broader community. The future of energy is yet to be determined, but we all understand the impact if nothing is done. How can we play a role in impacting climate change and protect ourselves from the challenges of rising temperatures, coastal flooding, massive storms, weaknesses in energy supply, and what strategies are we putting in place to guard against these threats. Internationally, Nationally, States and Local government agencies are working to have an impact. What is the role of our organizations to help implement resilient systems, maintain critical infrastructures and/or microgrids?
Keywords: Microgrids; Resiliency; Sustainability; Energy; Infrastructure; Climate Change; Communities; Stewardship; Environment.
1Introduction
Today there are significant challenges facing energy providers, specifically the electricity industry. Climate change and the environmental impacts associated with massive storms, cyber-attacks, congestion in the electrical grid and suppling power to large cities that continue to grow, mandates the industry seek innovative ways to solve for these challenges. These specific challenges are compounded due to the need for our societies to accelerate the move away from fossil fuels to generate power. The need to reduce carbon consumption and decrease the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is critical to preserving life as we know it. Utilities need to innovate to prepare to take on these challenges and strengthen the architecture of the grid.
Impacts of climate change, dated urban systems, and decaying infrastructure present vulnerabilities. The environment, economy, and society are impacted directly when these systems fail. In a report for the U.S. Department of Energy, Thomas Wilbanks and Steven Fernandez outline these impacts to energy, health, transportation, sea level rise, water supply, and water quality. This report demonstrates how, for example that in order to impact electrical demand, a sector adaptation strategy is required to both expand capacity while conserving energy and cutting carbon consumption. (Wilbanks, Fernandez, 2014) This adaptation strategy depending on location could either increase or decrease emissions (affecting carbon). A blended model will help climate change impacts by introducing innovative ways of meeting utility demands without the environmental impact.
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