Suffolk Reporter

In the aftermath of a severe rainstorm that flooded towns on Long Island and claimed at least two lives in Connecticut, a consortium of scientists, engineers, and utility representatives convened to discuss the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and their impact on critical infrastructure. The meeting took place at New York’s Kennedy International Airport from August 21-22, 2024.

The Climate READi Northeast Regional Workshop was co-hosted by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory. This event marked the final session in a series of four workshops held across the United States as part of EPRI's Climate Resilience and Adaptation Initiative (Climate READi). Following an initial day focused on climate data training, attendees engaged in discussions about flooding and cloud impacts on power systems.

“This workshop is all about the future of the power system in a world affected by climate change,” stated Martin Schoonen, Brookhaven Lab’s associate laboratory director for Environment, Biology, Nuclear Science & Nonproliferation. He emphasized that while superstorms remain rare in the Northeast, heavy rains capable of disrupting services are becoming more frequent.

Morgan Scott, director of Climate READi at EPRI, highlighted the importance of regional specificity when addressing climate change impacts. “These workshops are a great opportunity to focus on topics that are regionally specific," she said. "We want to make sure we are thinking about the hazard itself first — what is the science telling us? — and then talk about how the impacts will change.”

Keynote speaker Steve Hammer introduced plans for the New York Climate Exchange on Governor’s Island, aimed at developing solutions to climate challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Presentations delved into scientific aspects such as different types of flooding and their projected increase due to climate change. Bernice Rosenzweig from Sarah Lawrence College explained how various flooding processes could combine to trigger extensive damage far from official flood zones.

Mike Ragona from Con Edison and Eric Willson from MTA discussed past storm impacts like Superstorm Sandy and outlined future resilience strategies including infrastructure relocation and technological advancements.

Ed Kearns from First Street Foundation stressed linking climate change to financial risk through high-resolution models predicting infrastructure vulnerabilities. David Parsons from DOE's Grid Deployment Office noted efforts to enhance grid capacity amid increasing weather threats with advanced conductors and significant federal investments.

Schoonen also addressed cloud dynamics' complexity and their effects on solar energy output, advocating for controlled laboratory studies over real-world experiments.

The workshop concluded with discussions on urban energy demands led by Jorge Gonzalez-Cruz from University of Albany/Brookhaven Lab and Bryan Irrgang from Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), who forecast increased electrical demand due to electric vehicles (EVs).

As Morgan Scott summarized: “While the workshop series is over, the work certainly isn’t.” She affirmed EPRI's commitment to ongoing collaboration towards building resilient power systems.