EnergyClimate change, severe weather threaten U.S. energy sector: Dept. of Energy
The U.S. entire energy system is vulnerable to increasingly severe and costly weather events driven by climate change, according to a U.S. Department of Energy report published last week. These climate and weather trends — increasing temperatures, decreasing water availability, more intense storm events, and sea level rise — each independently, and in some cases in combination, could restrict the supply of secure, sustainable, and affordable energy critical to U.S. economic growth.
The U.S. entire energy system is vulnerable to increasingly severe and costly weather events driven by climate change, according to a U.S. Department of Energy report published last Thursday.
The report says that since the start of the twentieth century, average annual temperatures across the contiguous United States have increased approximately 1.5°F (0.8°C) (see K. E. Kunkel et al., Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment, pt. 9, Climate of the Contiguous United States [NOAA 2013]; and Climate Change Indicators in the United States [EPA 2012]). Recent weather conditions are no exception to this trend. July 2012 was the hottest month in the United States since record keeping began in 1895, and 2012 was the warmest year overall, marked by historic high temperatures and droughts, above average wildfires, multiple intense storms that disrupted power to millions, and multiple extreme heat waves (see State of the Climate: National Overview for Annual 2012 [NOAA, 2013]). More than 60 percent of the country experienced drought during the summer of 2012, including some areas of exceptional drought (see State of the Climate: National Overview for Annual 2012 [NOAA, 2013]; and State of the Climate National Overview [NOAA, 2012]). These trends, which are expected to continue (see K. E. Kunkel et al., Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment, pt. 9, Climate of the Contiguous United States [NOAA 2013]; Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [IPCC, 2012]; and Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1344 [USGCRP, 2009]), could restrict the supply of secure, sustainable, and affordable energy critical to U.S. economic growth.
The report says that at least three major climate trends are relevant to the energy sector:
- Increasing air and water temperatures
- Decreasing water availability in some regions and seasons
- Increasing intensity and frequency of storm events, flooding, and sea level rise
This report — part of the administration’s efforts to support national climate change adaptation planning through the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force and Strategic Sustainability Planning process established under Executive Order 13514 and to advance the U.S. Department of Energy’s goal of promoting U.S. energy security — examines current and potential future impacts of these climate trends on the U.S. energy sector. It identifies activities underway to address these challenges and
