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Ontario Utilities Lag in Climate Change Preparedness

Recent findings reveal that many electricity utilities across Ontario are not adequately evaluating how climate change may jeopardize the power grid. This survey comes as the province considers implementing regulations mandating such assessments of vulnerability to extreme weather conditions and integrating these factors into infrastructure planning.

The analysis, commissioned by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), indicates that while utilities have made strides in fortifying the grid against climate-induced extreme weather, significant gaps remain. The consulting firm ICF highlighted areas where utilities could further bolster their preparedness and response strategies.

Last month, Ontario experienced severe weather consequences, with over a million customers experiencing power outages and significant damage to electrical infrastructure after an ice storm. Hydro One, one of the few utilities to begin integrating climate risk into their planning, is now tasked with reconstructing parts of its grid where damage was particularly extensive.

Experts emphasize the importance of climate risk planning, noting its potential for not only enhancing rebuilding efforts for durability against future storms but also for preemptively upgrading the grid. Ryan Ness, a climate adaptation specialist, pointed out that proactive resilience measures could lead to an 80 percent reduction in damage costs by the century’s end.

Ness asserts, “Every utility should evaluate its entire system to identify the most critical climate-related risks that could disrupt services and prioritize addressing these vulnerabilities.” Despite many larger utilities monitoring restoration activities from extreme weather, only about half utilize historical weather data to forecast service interruptions. Furthermore, fewer than 25 percent engage in comprehensive climate vulnerability assessments that correlate historical data with climate model projections to pinpoint at-risk grid elements, including transformers and poles.

Currently, only 29 percent of utilities are monitoring efforts to fortify infrastructure against extreme weather, such as vegetation management around power lines and pole upgrades.

Challenges remain, particularly for smaller utilities servicing rural areas that may lack the financial resources or expertise for thorough assessments. Jason Thistlethwaite, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo, advocates for provincial-level support, stating, “This issue should be a top priority for the government.”

The provincial government has acknowledged the significance of climate resilience, instructing the Ontario Energy Board to devise and enforce policies that enhance utilities’ climate resiliency. Isha Chaudhuri, a representative for Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce, highlighted the government’s commitment to maintaining one of North America’s cleanest energy grids while ensuring affordable and reliable power.

According to a draft report from December, utilities may be expected to undertake vulnerability assessments starting in 2026, with ongoing consultations leading to a final report anticipated later this summer. New regulations will also be instituted next month requiring utilities to keep customers promptly informed regarding significant power outages caused by severe weather.

Tom Miller, a spokesperson for the OEB, remarked, “These efforts underscore the importance of ensuring resilient and reliable distribution systems that serve customers in the wake of climate-related challenges.”

Ontario’s utilities have expressed concerns regarding a uniform approach to resiliency, pointing out that different regions will face various climate-related challenges, such as increased flooding and wildfires. However, representatives from the industry acknowledged that the OEB’s recent initiatives represent a positive move toward enhancing climate resilience.

Ontario is home to 61 rate-regulated utility companies, some of which serve communities as small as 2,000 residents. Ness suggested that establishing standardized vulnerability assessments could help create level playing fields across the province, particularly as the regulator considers such guidelines.

Some utilities, including Toronto Hydro and Hydro Ottawa, have already begun conducting climate vulnerability assessments, using the results to advocate for investments in climate adaptation projects. A report from the Ministry of Energy last year identified wind as the leading cause of major outages in Ontario. While average wind speeds are expected to decrease with climate change, the report anticipates more frequent and intense extreme wind gusts, particularly in northern Ontario and areas bordering the Great Lakes. Thunderstorms and freezing rain events, other significant contributors to power outages, are also predicted to become more prevalent in certain regions.

“Weather-related risks are already a major factor behind power outages,” the report stated, emphasizing the significant additional pressures anticipated due to climate change in the coming decades.

Given the enduring nature of electricity grid infrastructure, with overhead lines and transformers likely remaining in place for decades, considerations regarding climate resilience are essential, especially as Ontario seeks to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and adapt to increased demands for electricity, such as for air conditioning during extreme heat events.

Other jurisdictions, notably in the U.S., have implemented similar regulations enhancing climate change adaptation in utility plans. For instance, California has mandated utilities to factor in climate adaptation strategies since 2018. The Ontario provincial documents also presented a case where a UK electrical company utilized a climate risk assessment to update its substations, which were originally designed for 100-year flood conditions but later evaluated to be at risk in light of future predictions of 100- to 1,000-year flood events.

This proactive reassessment allowed them to focus on the highest priority substations for resilience-enhancing modifications, thereby addressing potential risks systematically and effectively.

Source
globalnews.ca