Infrastructure for Adapting to Climate Change Environmental Law Forum April 10, 2014 1
Agenda Lessons Learned from Superstorm Sandy What are Northeast States Doing About It? State of our Power Grid Role of Microgrids Where to Start? 3
Superstorm Sandy by the Numbers Damage Cost $71.4 Billion States Affected 24 Loss of Power Over 6 Millions customers in 15 states Deaths 118 4
What Went Right? Accurate scientific models: Prediction of path and strength of hurricane Prediction of water level rise FEMA flood maps allowing proper evacuation Authorities ordered proper actions 5
What Went Wrong? Failed to be prepared for handling environmental risks in the long term Infrastructure is not prepared for the climate of the past let alone the one we will have in the future NYC subway, NYCDEP and Consolidated Edison (ConEd) planners ignored potential for flooding Flickr ThatHartfordGuy 6
The Problems Evacuation routes were compromised Train and traffic tunnels were flooded Bridges were closed due to high winds Flickr ThatHartfordGuy 7
The Problems Flooding Many communities, including parts of Manhattan, were flooded Main sewage plants were flooded Substations were flooded 8
The Problems High Wind Conditions Downed power lines Downed trees Water surge on land and in sewer systems 9
The Problems Power Outages 8.5 million people lost power Lower Manhattan substation blew up leaving everyone below 34th Street (800,000 people) without power for days Lisa Bettany 10
The Problems After the Storm Lack of supplies and problems distributing food and water People in lower Manhattan had to walk five miles north to get food Toilets in high rise buildings did not function due to flooded water pumps often located in the basement Flickr ThatHartfordGuy 11
The Problems Lack of Fuel Waterways were closed for delivery due to floating debris Generators could not run Gas stations had no power to retrieve fuel Fights and arguments were breaking out at operating gas stations, police had maintain order! People were heating homes by boiling water in kitchens 12
What are States Doing About it? New York Re-imagining New York for a New Reality $17 billion plan for state investment in a wide range of projects that will transform New York s infrastructure, transportation networks, energy supply, coastal protection, weather warning system and emergency management system to better protect New Yorkers from future extreme weather Governor Cuomo press release 1/8/2014 $40 million in prize money behind NY Governor Cuomo s push to bolster the state s post-superstorm Sandy resilience with community microgrids Proposal for a Stronger, More Resilient New York $19.5 billion plan from former NYC Mayor Bloomberg PlaNYC 13
What are States Doing About it? New Jersey Energy Strong Plan $4 billion plan just released from Public Service Electric and Gas Company (NYSE: PEG)to strengthen and modernize its gas and electricity infrastructure The New Jersey utility saw about 1.7 million of its 2.2 million electric customers go without power during and after Superstorm Sandy. About $2.8 billion of the proposed plan goes toward improvements for the electrical grid, with another $1.2 billion for gas delivery. 14
What are States Doing About it? Connecticut Connecticut Climate Preparedness Plan Connecticut s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has finalized the state s Plan. The plan required by Public Act No. 08-98 - An Act Concerning Connecticut Global Warming Solutions evaluates the projected impacts of climate change on Connecticut agriculture, infrastructure, natural resources and public health and recommends strategies to lessen those impacts. 15
What are States Doing About it? Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Climate Impact Assessment Update The Department of Environmental Protection this published a new report on climate change entitled, Pennsylvania Climate Impact Assessment Update, (October 2013) prepared by professors and students at Penn State University s Environmental Natural Resources Institute. The report was mandated by the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act of 2008 and updates the 2009 report assessing the impact of climate changes in Pennsylvania. 16
US Power Grid Current State Three grids with little interconnectivity Over 60 years old ~15,000 generators 211,000 miles of transmission lines Generation capacity 1 terawatt (1,000,000,000,000 W) Losses 9.5% Number of major outages have doubled over last 20 years 17
Electric Grid Generation Transmission Distribution Commercial & Industrial Residential 18
What is Microgrid? Offices Solar Panels Houses Storage Generators Wind Farm Storage Industrial Plant Storage Generators Isolated Microgrids Storage Central Power Plant Source: iteres 19
Sample Microgrid Projects 20
Alcatraz Island San Fransisco, CA Microgrids NPS / Frank Roland Schmidt Greenberg 21
Alcatraz Island San Fransisco, CA System Technology 22
Alcatraz Island San Francisco, CA Capabilities & Benefits The system functions as an independent energy source. The micro-grid system reduces fuel costs, meets San Francisco emissions standards. The system allows the generators to transition from on to off seamlessly. GTIB Inverters condition the power and are AC coupled to create an micro-grid. Site Controller coordinates and communicates with all components as well as provides real-time monitoring and data collection. 23
Fort Bliss, TX Energy Storage System 24
Fort Bliss, TX System Technology 25
Fort Bliss, TX Capabilities & Benefits ESS provides enough energy to power the micro grid loads through a seamless transition, while the generator turns on to support the loads indefinitely. The micro grid demonstrates how RE can be integrated with the electric grid to provide increased reliability, security, and operational capabilities. While connected to the electric grid, the ESS can provide services such as VAR support and Frequency Regulation. The Energy Storage System (ESS) provides a back-up energy source in case of grid failure or intentional islanding. The ESS 20 ft. container consists of (1) Princeton Power Systems 100kW Gridtied Inverter and multiple Advanced Lead-Acid (PbA) battery racks. 26
Microgrid Campus Solutions Campuses are a natural fit for deployment Addresses need for improved resilience and provides economic value Campuses are in a unique position to lead the charge Assists communities preparation for natural disasters by offering a place of refuge 27
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