(B01) The Intersection of Resilient Electrified Buildings and the Grid’s Climate Vulnerabilities

Rising sea levels, extreme heat, more intense droughts, and devastating wildfires caused by climate change are already impacting California—and that’s before any cascading effects on communities and economies fully emerge. While the costs to prepare for climate resiliency is daunting, those costs will compound tremendously if left to tomorrow. Electric utility SCE used global climate model predictions to assess its exposure to a changing climate on their assets and operations. SCE’s Climate and Vulnerability Assessment highlighted the value of incorporating future climate scenarios into long-term planning across government and industrial sectors; the importance of collaboration between local communities, regional planning authorities, and government to address critical infrastructure risks and community resilience; and the need for immediate funding and investment in climate adaptation solutions. At the same time, building electrification is emerging as critical to reducing emissions. In the race to electrify buildings, what are some of the necessary steps to ensure that low-income communities do not continue to be tied to an aging fossil fuel energy infrastructure with rising rates as other customers with access to capital electrify their buildings? What are the roles for energy efficiency, load management, and distributed energy resources like on-site renewable energy generation and energy storage? As the impacts of climate change and potential disruptions in power supply become more pronounced, what are the keys to continuing to access electricity safely and reliably? This presentation will draw on findings of Southern California Edison’s work to examine the implications of electrification from an equity and resilience perspective, with a focus on the vulnerabilities at the intersection of buildings and the grid. Edison International, Adapting for Tomorrow: Powering a Resilient Future (Rosemead, CA: Edison International, 2022), https://www.edison.com/home/our-perspective/adapting-for-tomorrow.html