How electricity utility practitioners in the United States approach power system resilience

DOI https://doi.org/10.55670/fpll.fuen.4.1.3
344 Abstract Views 299 Downloads
Abstract

This study explores the understanding and practice of resilience among electrical utilities in the United States, focusing on how practitioners in the utility sector conceptualize and apply resilience in their work. As electricity becomes increasingly central to modern life, powering critical infrastructure and essential services, the resilience of power systems has gained prominence in energy policy and planning. However, there is a lack of standardized definitions and approaches to resilience in both academia and practice, particularly from an energy service perspective. The research employs a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews with experts (practitioners) from transmission and distribution utilities in the United States to examine their definitions, understanding, and applications of resilience. By adopting a grounded approach, the study aims to identify key themes and concepts that practitioners associate with power system resilience. The findings outline that there is no clear definition of resilience amongst utility practitioners, and resilience and reliability are often used interchangeably/synonymously as there are no fixed indicators for resilience amongst practitioners. At present, unlike reliability, utilities are not including resilience as a term in their long-term resource planning, and neither are reporting resilience-based indicators to any of the government agencies. The findings contribute to the ongoing dialogue on energy resilience and offer a foundation for developing more comprehensive and context-specific approaches to building resilient energy systems that prioritize critical services and vulnerable populations.

Graphical Abstract
Keywords
Energy Resilience Electricity Utility Energy Services Resilient energy system United States
How to Cite
Tiwari, Shardul, Aritra Chakrabarty, Chelsea Schelly, Mostafa Sahraei-Ardakani, Gaby Ou, and Jianli Chen. 2025. “How Electricity Utility Practitioners in the United States Approach Power System Resilience”. Future Energy 4 (1):19-29. https://doi.org/10.55670/fpll.fuen.4.1.3.
References
  1. Kuang, B., Schelly, C., Ou, G., Sahraei-Ardakani, M., Tiwari, S., & Chen, J. (2023). Data-driven analysis of influential factors on residential energy end-use in the US. Journal of Building Engineering, 75, 106947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2023.106947
  2. Jasiūnas, J., Lund, P. D., & Mikkola, J. (2021). Energy system resilience–A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 150, 111476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111476
  3. Tiwari, S., Schelly, C., Ou, G., Sahraei-Ardakani, M., Chen, J., & Jafarishiadeh, F. (2022). Conceptualizing resilience: An energy services approach. Energy Research & Social Science, 94, 102878.
  4. Day, R., Walker, G., & Simcock, N. (2016). Conceptualising energy use and energy poverty using a capabilities framework. Energy Policy, 93, 255–264.
  5. Roege, P. E., Collier, Z. A., Mancillas, J., McDonagh, J. A., & Linkov, I. (2014). Metrics for energy resilience. Energy Policy, 72, 249–256.
  6. Ribeiro, D., & Bailey, T. (2017). Indicators for local energy resilience. https://www.aceee.org/sites/default/files/resilience-indicators-0817.pdf
  7. Shapira, S., Shibli, H., & Teschner, N. (2021). Energy insecurity and community resilience: The experiences of Bedouins in Southern Israel. Environmental Science & Policy, 124, 135–143.
  8. Heffron, R. J., McCauley, D., & Sovacool, B.K. (2015). Resolving society's energy trilemma through the Energy Justice Metric. Energy Policy, 87,168-176.
  9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.08.033
  10. Schmidt, J., Gruber, K., Klingler, M., Klöckl, C., Camargo, L. R., Regner, P., Turkovska, O., Wehrle, S., & Wetterlund, E. (2019). A new perspective on global renewable energy systems: why trade in energy carriers matters. Energy & Environmental Science, 12(7), 2022–2029. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2019/ee/c9ee00223e
  11. Bento, F., Garotti, L., & Mercado, M. P. (2021). Organizational resilience in the oil and gas industry: A scoping review. Safety Science, 133, 105036. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753520304331
  12. Gatto, A., & Drago, C. (2020). Measuring and modeling energy resilience. Ecological Economics, 172, 106527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106527
  13. Maliszewski, P. J., & Perrings, C. (2012). Factors in the resilience of electrical power distribution infrastructures. Applied Geography, 32(2), 668–679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2011.08.001
  14. Tuttle, M., Poshtan, M., Taufik, T., & Callenes, J. (2019). Impact of cyber-attacks on power grids with distributed energy storage systems. 2019 IEEE International Conference on Communications, Control, and Computing Technologies for Smart Grids (SmartGridComm), 1–6. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8909736/
  15. Wang, Y., & Li, L. (2015). Time-of-use electricity pricing for industrial customers: A survey of US utilities. Applied Energy, 149, 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.03.118
  16. Ouyang, M. (2014). Review on modeling and simulation of interdependent critical infrastructure systems. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 121, 43–60. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2013.06.040
  17. Erker, S., Stangl, R., & Stoeglehner, G. (2017). Resilience in the light of energy crises–Part I: A framework to conceptualise regional energy resilience. Journal of Cleaner Production, 164, 420–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.06.163
  18. Sucita, T., Mulyadi, Y., & Timotius, C. (2018). Reliability evaluation of power distribution system with reliability Index assessment (RIA). IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 384, 012072. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/384/1/012072/meta
  19. Tiwari, S. (2022). Texas electricity service crisis through an energy justice lens. The Electricity Journal, 35(9), 107204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tej.2022.107204
  20. Tuttle, D. P., Gulen, G., Hebner, R., King, C. W., Spence, D. B., Andrande, J., Wible, J. A., Baldick, R., & Duncan, R. (2016). The history and evolution of the US electricity industry. White Paper UTEI/2016-05-2.
  21. Klass, A. B., & Wiseman, H. J. (2017). Energy law. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130855953743268101
  22. Alatout, S., & Schelly, C. (2010). Rural Electrification as a “Bioterritorial” Technology: Redefining Space, Citizenship, and Power during the New Deal. Radical History Review, 2010(107), 127–138.
  23. Tomain, J. P., Cudahy, J. R. D., Trotta, J. P., & Cudahy, R. D. (2011). Energy law in a nutshell. ENERGY LAW JOURNAL, 32, 631. https://www.eba-net.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/13-21-631-energy_law_in_a_nutshell.pdf
  24. Joskow, P. L. (1997). Restructuring, Competition and Regulatory Reform in the U.S. Electricity Sector. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 11 (3), 119–138. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.11.3.119
  25. NAS, N. A. of S., Engineering, D. on, Sciences, P., Energy, B. on, Systems, E., Transmission, C. on E. the R. of the N. E. P., & System, D. (2017). Enhancing the resilience of the nation’s electricity system. National Academies Press. ISBN:9780309463072
  26. Tracking DTE Energy power outages in Metro Detroit: More than 467k in the dark (https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/02/22/tracking-dte-energy-power-outages-in-metro-detroit-4k-in-the-dark-on-feb-22-2023/)
  27. Busby, J., Baker, K., Bazilian, M., Gilbert, A., Grubert, E., Rai, V., Rhodes, J., Shidore, S., Smith, C., & Webber, M. (2021). Cascading risks: Understanding the 2021 winter blackout in Texas. Energy Research & Social Science, 77, 102106. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ERSS.2021.102106
  28. Levin, T., & Botterud, A. (2015). Electricity market design for generator revenue sufficiency with increased variable generation. Energy Policy, 87, 392-406. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENPOL.2015.09.012
  29. Bhusal, N., Abdelmalak, M., Kamruzzaman, M., & Benidris, M. (2019). Power system resilience: Current practices, challenges, and future directions. Ieee Access, 8, 18064–18086. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2968586
  30. NERC power outage reporting standards (https://www.nerc.com/pa/Stand/Reliability%20Standards/EOP-004-4.pdf)
  31. Panteli, M., Trakas, D. N., Mancarella, P., & Hatziargyriou, N. D. (2017). Power systems resilience assessment: Hardening and smart operational enhancement strategies. Proceedings of the IEEE, 105(7), 1202–1213. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2017.2691357
  32. Guttromson, R., & Watson, J. (2016). Defining, Measuring, and Improving Resilience of Electric Power Systems. In C.-C. Liu, S. McArthur, & S.-J. Lee (Eds.), Smart Grid Handbook (1st ed., pp. 1–21). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118755471.sgd044
  33. Sovacool, B. K., Lipson, M. M., & Chard, R. (2019). Temporality, vulnerability, and energy justice in household low carbon innovations. Energy Policy, 128, 495–504. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421519300102
  34. Kvale, S. (1994). Ten standard objections to qualitative research interviews. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 25(2), 147–173. https://brill.com/view/journals/jpp/25/2/article-p147_1.xml
  35. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). The Sage handbook of qualitative research. sage. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=AIRpMHgBYqIC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Denzin+%26+Lincoln+1998&ots=kqATCJhwfb&sig=ZTMNF1IUPXL7s1nbt4XF9zKvu6g
  36. Creswell, J. W. (2011). Controversies in mixed methods research. The SAGE. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=jRNzAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA101&dq=Creswell,+2007&ots=hm99eaQSQH&sig=mJkpmncaPGaoJ8nCrkRxvG5F5c0
  37. Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Sage Publications. April 5, 1995, ISBN:9780803957671, 080395767X
  38. Sovacool, B. K., Axsen, J., & Sorrell, S. (2018). Promoting novelty, rigor, and style in energy social science: Towards codes of practice for appropriate methods and research design. Energy Research & Social Science, 45, 12–42. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618307230
  39. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage Publication. January 12, 1994, ISBN:9780803955400, 0803955405
  40. U.S General Services Administration. Utility Services Overview (https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/facilities-management/utility-services)
  41. NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure, Security and Resilience (https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/national-infrastructure-protection-plan-2013-508.pdf)
  42. Zeng, Z., Yi-Ping,F., Qingqing, Z.,, and Shijia, D. (2021). A Markov reward process-based framework for resilience analysis of multistate energy systems under the threat of extreme events. Reliability Engineering & System Safety 209 (2021): 107443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2021.107443
  43. Panteli, M., & Mancarella, P. (2015). The grid: Stronger, bigger, smarter?: Presenting a conceptual framework of power system resilience. IEEE Power and Energy Magazine, 13(3), 58–66. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1109/MPE.2015.2397334
  44. Tiwari, S., Tarekegne, B., & Schelly, C. (2021). Global Electricity Development: Technological, Geographical, and Social Considerations. In W. Leal Filho, A. Marisa Azul, L. Brandli, A. Lange Salvia, & T. Wall (Eds.), Affordable and Clean Energy (pp. 699–708). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95864-4_20
  45. Ouyang, M., & Duenas-Osorio, L. (2014). Multi-dimensional hurricane resilience assessment of electric power systems. Structural Safety, 48, 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strusafe.2014.01.001
  46. Kuang, B., Schelly, C., Ou, G., Sahraei-Ardakani, M., Tiwari, S., & Chen, J. (2023). Data-driven analysis of influential factors on residential energy end-use in the US. Journal of Building Engineering, 75, 106947.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2023.106947
  47. Kwasinski, A., Andrade, F., Castro-Sitiriche, M. J., & O’Neill-Carrillo, E. (2019). Hurricane Maria effects on Puerto Rico electric power infrastructure. IEEE Power and Energy Technology Systems Journal, 6(1), 85–94. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPETS.2019.2900293
  48. Muratori, M. (2018). Impact of uncoordinated plug-in electric vehicle charging on residential power demand. Nature Energy, 3(3), 193–201. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-017-0074-z
  49. Kapucu, N., & Garayev, V. (2011). Collaborative Decision-Making in Emergency and Disaster Management. International Journal of Public Administration, 34(6), 366–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2011.561477
  50. Rossi, Jim.(2016). The Brave New Path of Energy Federalism. Texas Law Review, 95 (399) 400-466. https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/tlr95&i=415
  51. Bie, Z., Lin, Y., Li, G., & Li, F. (2017). Battling the extreme: A study on the power system resilience. Proceedings of the IEEE, 105(7), 1253–1266. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2017.2679040
  52. Umunnakwe, A., Huang, H., Oikonomou, K., & Davis, K. R. (2021). Quantitative analysis of power systems resilience: Standardization, categorizations, and challenges. ScienceDirect. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032121005396

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.