Climate risk assessment and cascading impacts: Risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the U.S. Southwest
Climate risks pose a particular set of challenges to electrical utilities, who must manage the direct impacts of climate and weather, as well as how related effects might propagate through networks of interconnected social and environmental risks. In this paper, we present a case study example of cl...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Climate Risk Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096320300309 |
| _version_ | 1818974500303142912 |
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| author | Ben McMahan Andrea K. Gerlak |
| author_facet | Ben McMahan Andrea K. Gerlak |
| author_sort | Ben McMahan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate risks pose a particular set of challenges to electrical utilities, who must manage the direct impacts of climate and weather, as well as how related effects might propagate through networks of interconnected social and environmental risks. In this paper, we present a case study example of climate services development, co-produced between a regional electrical utility and researchers at the University of Arizona, that integrates and adapts a climate risk management framework to better connect university climate expertise with utility needs for climate risk management and planning. We detail the process by which our project team partnered with the utility to identify primary areas of concern for the electrical utility sector in the Southwest, and craft a qualitative assessment of these climate risks with the utility. We describe the iterative engagement process where operational implications associated with climate risks were identified including points of intervention for the utility, as part of their integrated resource planning process, and the cascading impacts that play a part in the larger decision context. We emphasize the role of novel analyses and curated data and information in the development of tailored climate services, as well as the importance of cultivating collaborative relationships between university researchers and community stakeholders and practitioners early on in research projects in order to better include their values, perspectives, and insights in the research process. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T15:41:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab14f03aea0449d9a0090872b0473615 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2212-0963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T15:41:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate Risk Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab14f03aea0449d9a0090872b04736152022-12-21T19:35:11ZengElsevierClimate Risk Management2212-09632020-01-0129100240Climate risk assessment and cascading impacts: Risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the U.S. SouthwestBen McMahan0Andrea K. Gerlak1Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS), Arizona Institutes for Resilience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Corresponding author at: Climate Assessment for the Southwest, Arizona Institutes for Resilience, University of Arizona, 1064 E. Lowell Street, PO Box 210137, Tucson, AZ 85721-0137, USA.School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USAClimate risks pose a particular set of challenges to electrical utilities, who must manage the direct impacts of climate and weather, as well as how related effects might propagate through networks of interconnected social and environmental risks. In this paper, we present a case study example of climate services development, co-produced between a regional electrical utility and researchers at the University of Arizona, that integrates and adapts a climate risk management framework to better connect university climate expertise with utility needs for climate risk management and planning. We detail the process by which our project team partnered with the utility to identify primary areas of concern for the electrical utility sector in the Southwest, and craft a qualitative assessment of these climate risks with the utility. We describe the iterative engagement process where operational implications associated with climate risks were identified including points of intervention for the utility, as part of their integrated resource planning process, and the cascading impacts that play a part in the larger decision context. We emphasize the role of novel analyses and curated data and information in the development of tailored climate services, as well as the importance of cultivating collaborative relationships between university researchers and community stakeholders and practitioners early on in research projects in order to better include their values, perspectives, and insights in the research process.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096320300309UtilitiesClimate risk managementWaterHeatFireUniversities |
| spellingShingle | Ben McMahan Andrea K. Gerlak Climate risk assessment and cascading impacts: Risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the U.S. Southwest Climate Risk Management Utilities Climate risk management Water Heat Fire Universities |
| title | Climate risk assessment and cascading impacts: Risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the U.S. Southwest |
| title_full | Climate risk assessment and cascading impacts: Risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the U.S. Southwest |
| title_fullStr | Climate risk assessment and cascading impacts: Risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the U.S. Southwest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate risk assessment and cascading impacts: Risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the U.S. Southwest |
| title_short | Climate risk assessment and cascading impacts: Risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the U.S. Southwest |
| title_sort | climate risk assessment and cascading impacts risks and opportunities for an electrical utility in the u s southwest |
| topic | Utilities Climate risk management Water Heat Fire Universities |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096320300309 |
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