Understanding climate change impacts and informing energy policies to create a more climate resilient energy sector

Background/Question/Methods:

The Energy Commission has been involved in climate change policy and scientific research since 1988 when a state law required an examination of the reality of climate change in California.  Since then, the Energy Commission has supported advances in regional climate change science that has been influential in state policy circles, such the passage of AB32. This presentation will focus on studies for the energy sector summarizing the main results, such as the examination of potential impacts to hydropower generation, thermal power plants, transmission lines, coastal power plants, and electricity and natural gas demand. Several adaptation options will be discussed, including their feasibility considering current laws and regulations.  It also examines how the energy system may evolve in California in the next 36 years resulting in dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.  Finally, the presentation will conclude with some ideas on how to take advantage of a rapidly changing energy system in a way that may also reduce its vulnerability to climate change.   

Results/Conclusions:

There are multiple pathways for the evolution of the energy system in California. Regardless of what pathway materializes in the future, however, there are multiple venues to reduce its vulnerability to climate impacts. Proactive steps must be taken and some of them are already being implemented, such as considering increased temperatures in the estimation of electricity demand in the official demand forecasts prepared by the Energy Commission.