A More Resilient Grid: The U.S. Department of Energy Joins with Stakeholders in an R&D Plan

Abstract

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION GRID RESEARCH AND DEVELOPment (R&D) has long focused on the reliability, affordability, flexibility, and efficiency of electricity delivery for end users; however, this focus has primarily been outside the realm of severe climate events. Due to the increasing frequency and intensity of weather-caused grid outages in recent years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has placed an added emphasis on R&D to enhance resilience to climate change and extreme weather. To forge a focused national R&D effort on grid resilience, the DOE is adopting a public/private partnership approach to join with key stakeholders in developing and implementing a resilient grid R&D plan. This article presents the plan development process and the R&D need areas identified for pursuit.