CHICAGO, IL —  The study should help select the most effective and efficient methods for adapting to the impacts of climate change and bring new insights to grid planning practices.

ComEd recently announced it is launching a comprehensive Climate Risk and Adaptation Study in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory's Center for Climate Resilience and Decision Science. According to ComEd, the study will examine the impact of changing weather due to climate change, including sustained heat and flooding risk, on the design and performance of the power grid in the region.

This is said to be the first study to be launched in concert with the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) power resilience and adaptation initiative, a three-year global program on climate change risk. ComEd's parent company, Exelon Corporation, is one of 13 founding members of the initiative.

According to ComEd, the collaboration with Argonne and EPRI will build upon established climate science and industry best practices to help ComEd plan and build infrastructure that is more resilient to the climate changes that pose growing risks to the grid. The study should further inform ComEd's future grid plans, including the company's Multi-Year Integrated Grid Plan, which according to the company will be filed in January 2023.

"Families and businesses in northern Illinois have a front-row seat to the increasingly severe weather caused by climate change, which has brought record-breaking temperature swings, historic tornadoes, and hurricane-strength winds that continue to test the resiliency of the power grid and the reliable energy our customers have come to expect," said ComEd’s CEO Gil Quiniones. "As we plan the future grid investments required to enable the state's clean energy transition, it is essential that we fully understand future grid challenges, including the impact of climate change and electrification, to ensure our grid can adapt to changing conditions and maintain our outstanding system reliability and resiliency." 

"Argonne's partnership with ComEd shows what's possible when science and industry work together for climate resiliency," said Argonne Director Paul Kearns. "It's exciting to see that our collaboration supports effective planning for ComEd and the communities it serves with the application of our climate, infrastructure, and decision science capabilities. Ultimately, our shared goal is to provide clean, affordable, reliable power that households and businesses depend on, and ensure they are prepared for whatever future climate events unfold."

According to ComEd, Argonne's analysis of future climate conditions for Northern Illinois will help them to select the most effective and efficient methods for adapting to the impacts, bringing new insights to their grid planning practices.

Source: ComEd