The Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) recently released an innovative, interactive visualization tool to highlight the findings from our work on the effect of sea level rise and storm surge on energy infrastructure. The tool is designed to enhance the communication of the results and allows users to better understand the context of the potential exposure and explore spatial data used to create the maps. The tool also includes full reports for each of the seven metropolitan statistical areas (MSA). 

The original work, which examined the effect of sea level rise on energy infrastructure, focused on four major metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs):  New York City, Houston, Miami, and Los Angeles. Since then, Boston, Philadelphia, and Norfolk have also been analyzed, and all seven MSAs have been now been assessed to examine the effects of storm surge. You can access the interactive results and maps now by clicking HERE.

We undertook the study to better understand the risks from climate change and extreme events and help improve the resilience of the nation’s electric grid.  The goal of our study was to develop a method to identify energy facilities exposed to sea level rise (SLR) through 2100 that is flexible and scalable, uses existing and robust data sources, accounts for global and local sea level changes, storm surge, and can incorporate results from regional studies. The seven MSAs were chosen because of their proximity to the coast, past exposure to significant storm events, and geographic dispersion along the coastlines likely to be affected by sea level rise and/or storm surge. The approach used in the study can be applied to any coastal region or coastal MSA. 

The study, which is a good first-order approach and screening tool, can help communities understand and prepare for the effects of sea level rise on their energy assets. We will continue working with our Federal, state, and local partners to share and understand the value of the findings of the study and identify opportunities for future improvement and collaboration.