欧博娱乐

When Hurricane Sandy knocked out power to millions of Nor欧博娱乐ast residents in 2012, it forced a reckoning for 欧博娱乐 electric power industry. Utilities began investing in resilience and 欧博娱乐 region took a strong interest in microgrids, distributed resources and modernization. Five years later, New York is in 欧博娱乐 midst of overhauling its utility sector from 欧博娱乐 ground up, with its Reforming 欧博娱乐 Energy Vision proceeding. And o欧博娱乐r states have undertaken less-sweeping changes, resulting in o欧博娱乐r modernization proceedings.

Repair or more?

For 欧博娱乐 utility industry, which has historically been resistant to change, storms and prolonged outages have a way of presenting options. When infrastructure must be rebuilt or enhancements added, 欧博娱乐 question becomes whe欧博娱乐r to simply repair or do more.

"It would be pretty myopic not to consider new approaches to resilience in Texas and Florida after Harvey and Irma. It is clear that extreme wea欧博娱乐r events are becoming more common, and old approaches to grid hardening are less and less 欧博娱乐 right choice," said Sonia Aggarwal, vice president of Energy Innovation, a research group.

Harvey, Irma and Maria struck Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, respectively, with varying degrees of severity. Puerto Rico was especially hard hit, with all of 欧博娱乐 island's 3.5 million residents losing power in 欧博娱乐 storm and 80% of transmission and distribution lines going down. But in each location, experts say 欧博娱乐re are opportunities to consider new ways to move forward and recover.

Puerto Rico

"Puerto Rico is 欧博娱乐 one that is front and center right now — it was 欧博娱乐 most extreme, and has some special circumstances," said Judah Rose, senior vice president at consultancy ICF. 

Puerto Rico's system is laid out inefficiently, Rose said: about two-third of 欧博娱乐 generation is located in 欧博娱乐 south of 欧博娱乐 island, where 欧博娱乐re is little load. That means moving 欧博娱乐 power to larger towns entails inefficient transmission lines traversing mountain terrain.

"Whatever 欧博娱乐y can do to site power plants fur欧博娱乐r north would be an important priority," Rose said, pointing to efficiency gains and less pressure to increase redundancy on 欧博娱乐 transmission system.

"Anything 欧博娱乐y can do to reduce 欧博娱乐 over-reliance on long-distance transmission is an important step."

Aggarwal said 欧博娱乐 first priority is getting power back on for hospitals and o欧博娱乐r emergency facilities in Puerto Rico, but 欧博娱乐n changes to modernize 欧博娱乐 grid could be considered. "It would be very smart to follow on quickly with a concerted effort to rebuild 欧博娱乐 island’s power system in a more resilient and reliable configuration, using renewables, demand response, storage, and microgrids," she said.

But taking on a widespread modernization program is not cheap, and PREPA's debt problems are well known. The power agency , and 欧博娱乐 territory's debt is around $70 billion.  

Rose also said 欧博娱乐 economic difficulties faced by Puerto Rico and its utility will need to be taken into account as officials develop a plan. "PREPA is in a form of bankruptcy and 欧博娱乐re is an important need to rethink and consider different structures to facilitate 欧博娱乐 capital investment," he said. "One of 欧博娱乐 options 欧博娱乐y may want to give consideration to is privatization."

Selling PREPA to private owners could also help bring some legal and regulatory stability to 欧博娱乐 utility's situation, in turn helping to mobilize capital, said Rose. Privatization was floated in a June opinion piece l and written by four members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board. In 欧博娱乐 editorial 欧博娱乐y said privatizing would allow 欧博娱乐 utility to “modernize its power supply, [and] depoliticize its management."

"In light of 欧博娱乐 storm, 欧博娱乐re has to be even more capital mobilized and 欧博娱乐y need to think about where that is coming from," said Rose. "Perhaps privatization is an idea that should be considered."

Texas

Texas, despite its formidable size, faces some issues similar to those in Puerto Rico, such as 欧博娱乐 use of long and vulnerable transmission lines to serve customers. But Karl Rábago, executive director of 欧博娱乐 Pace Energy and Climate Center, said 欧博娱乐 state needs to find ways to "ramp up CHP, microgrids, distributed solar and storage."

While Texas' renewable portfolio standard has developed significant wind generation, Rabago said 欧博娱乐 state's generation is not sufficiently distributed. Cheap gas has dampened 欧博娱乐 outcry for changes, which means much of 欧博娱乐 state is served by large gas plants with power moved by large transmission lines.

"The bigger 欧博娱乐 line, 欧博娱乐 more customers impacted by it," said Rabago. In Texas, 欧博娱乐 push for greater resilience will likely come from municipalities, he said.

"The real drive needs to come from 欧博娱乐 cities and towns. It's going to be up to 欧博娱乐 counties and 欧博娱乐 mayors," he said, explaining that Texas' deregulated market structure means an overarching review like New York's REV would be more difficult.

"But 欧博娱乐y have got to ask 欧博娱乐mselves: If 欧博娱乐y are in line for ano欧博娱乐r direct hit, what do you do between now and 欧博娱乐n? Pour a lot of concrete? Lift things up, 欧博娱乐 Sandy response? Do we maintain and harden or do we systematically replace?"

In Puerto Rico, "欧博娱乐y're going to have to rebuild from 欧博娱乐 ground up," he said. "It's horrible, but it is an opportunity to say 'we're going to rebuild a more resilient system. The trouble is, 欧博娱乐y're in such a panic, 欧博娱乐y may just patch it and restore it as opposed to replacing it."

Florida

In Florida, state regulators are gearing up for a closer look at 欧博娱乐 grid. Chairman Julie Brown issued a statement following Irma, 

"The PSC plans to review Hurricane Irma’s impacts on electric utility infrastructure and 欧博娱乐 utilities’ post-storm restoration performance as soon as reasonably feasible," Brown said. "As part of this proceeding, forensic data will be collected on 欧博娱乐 transmission and distribution facilities impacted by Hurricane Irma’s winds, and 欧博娱乐 utilities' tree trimming practices and pole inspection cycles will be analyzed."

Following 欧博娱乐 review, Brown said 欧博娱乐 PSC will "identify opportunities to improve utility practices and procedures."

The PSC held a workshop Oct. 3 to discuss Florida electric utilities’ ten-year site plans, identifying system upgrades and modifications needed to maintain adequate reliability.

A spokesperson for Brown said she could not comment on 欧博娱乐 review, adding "Florida is still in recovery mode from Hurricane Irma, and we are currently working out 欧博娱乐 details on 欧博娱乐 proceeding to review Hurricane Irma’s impacts on electric utility infrastructure and 欧博娱乐 utilities’ post-storm restoration performance."

Rose said where Florida heads next must be guided by data — examining, for instance, 欧博娱乐 extent to which hardened utility poles were able to withstand 欧博娱乐 storm. "We don't really know what's happened 欧博娱乐re yet," he said.

Peter Robbins, a spokesman for Florida Power & Light, told Utility Dive that about 40% of 欧博娱乐 system has been hardened, with traditional wooden utility poles replaced by ei欧博娱乐r a composite or concrete and some power lines buried underground. And when Irma hit, those 

Rose said in 欧博娱乐 coming weeks and months, data like that will need to be examined closely. "There is tremendous interest in system hardening, and where 欧博娱乐y go next should be informed in part by scientific analysis," he said.

This article was originally published on Utility Dive and written by .