Assessment and Possible Solution to Increase Resilience: Flooding Threats in Terni Distribution Grid

Abstract

In recent years, because of increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events, the main stakeholders of electric power systems are emphasizing issues about resilience. Whenever networks are designed and development plans are drawn, this new feature must be assessed and implemented. In this paper, a procedure to evaluate the resilience of a distribution network against flooding threats is presented. Starting from a detailed analysis about the resilience of each asset of the grid, the procedure implements the exploration of the network in order to evaluate the impact of interruptions (e.g., in terms of number of disconnected users) produced by the specific threat; then, it calculates the resilience indices of the whole system. The procedure is applied with respect to the flooding threats, on a real distribution network in the center of Italy (i.e., the distribution network of Terni). Referring to this case study, the proposed method suggests countermeasures able to reduce the impact of flooding events and evaluates their benefits. Results indicate that, at the present time, the network is adequately resilient with respect to flooding events, as demonstrated by the index values. However, the remedial actions identified by the procedure are also able to improve the resilience of the network and, in addition, they are in agreement with the development plan already established by the distribution system operator (DSO).

Assessing climate-change-induced flood risk in the Conasauga River watershed: an application of ensemble hydrodynamic inundation modeling

“…The increases in the magnitude and frequency of flooding, in addition to the inadequacy of floodplain measures and the high costs of hardening (Wilbanks et al, 2008;Farber-DeAnda et al, 2010;Gilstrap et al, 2015), have put electricity infrastructures at risk (Zamuda et al, 2015;Zamuda and Lippert, 2016;Cronin et al, 2018;Forzieri et al, 2018;Mikellidou et al, 2018;Allen-Dumas et al, 2019). In particular, electricity infrastructures which lie in areas vulnerable to flooding can experience floodwater damages that may lead to changes in their energy production and consumption (Chandramowli and Felder, 2014;Ciscar and Dowling, 2014;Bollinger and Dijkema, 2016;Gangrade et al, 2019). For instance, flooding can rust metals, destroy insulation, and damage interruption capacity (Farber-DeAnda et al, 2010;Vale, 2014;NERC, 2018;Bragatto et al, 2019).…”

“…In particular, electricity infrastructures which lie in areas vulnerable to flooding can experience floodwater damages that may lead to changes in their energy production and consumption (Chandramowli and Felder, 2014;Ciscar and Dowling, 2014;Bollinger and Dijkema, 2016;Gangrade et al, 2019). For instance, flooding can rust metals, destroy insulation, and damage interruption capacity (Farber-DeAnda et al, 2010;Vale, 2014;NERC, 2018;Bragatto et al, 2019). It is estimated that nearly 300 energy facilities are located on low-lying lands vulnerable to sea-level rise and flooding in the lower 48 US states (Strauss and Ziemlinski, 2012).…”

“…Several studies have assessed the vulnerability of electricity infrastructures to flooding (Reed et al, 2009;Winkler et al, 2010;Bollinger and Dijkema, 2016;Fu et al, 2017;Pant et al, 2017;Bragatto et al, 2019;. For highly sensitive water infrastructures such as dams (McCuen, 2005), Gangrade et al (2019) showed that the surface inundation associated with probable maximum flood (PMF) is generally projected to increase in future climate conditions.…”

Assessing Climate Change-Induced Flood Risk in the Conasauga River Watershed: An Application of Ensemble Hydrodynamic Inundation Modeling

“…In particular, electricity infrastructures which lie in areas vulnerable to flooding can experience floodwater damages that may lead to changes in their energy production and consumption (Chandramowli and Felder, 2014;Ciscar and Dowling, 2014;Bollinger and Dijkema, 2016;Gangrade et al, 2019). For instance, flooding can rust metals, destroy insulation, and damage interruption capacity (Farber-DeAnda et al, 2010;Vale, 2014;NERC, 2018;Bragatto et al, 2019). It is estimated that nearly 300 energy facilities are located on low-lying lands vulnerable to sea-level rise and flooding in the lower 48 US states, (Strauss and Ziemlinski, 2012).…”

“…CC BY 4.0 License. 2017; Pant et al, 2017;Bragatto et al, 2019;Gangrade et al, 2019). Although some of these studies focused on evaluating the resilience of electricity infrastructures against flood hazard and/or climate change, only a few of them evaluated site-specific inundation risk and quantified impacts of climate change-induced flooding on electricity infrastructures under different future climate scenarios.…”