Background - Climate Change and Energy Supply and Use - page 6

Table 1. (continued) Table 1. (continued)

Relevant climate impacts Impacts on the

energy sector

General Speciic Additional

Transmission , Increased frequency Wind and ice Erosion and siltation Increased vulnerability

distribution, of extreme events Landslides and Weather conditions of existing assets

and transfers Sea level rise looding that prevent transport

Coastal erosion,
Sea level rise

Impacts on design and operations

Silting Sea level rise Flooding from Water availability Increased vulnerability

infrastructure Increased extreme sea level rising, Permafrost melting of existing assets

events coastal erosion Geomorphodynamic Increased demand for

Increased frequency equilibrium new good siting locations

of extreme events

Downtime Extreme weather Impacts on Energy system not fully Increased vulnerability

and system events isolated infrastructure operational when Reduced reliability

botlenecks Compound impacts community requires Increased social

on multiple assets in it the most pressure for beter

the energy system performance

Energy trade Increased vulnerability Cold spells and Increased stress on Increased uncertainty

to extreme events heat waves transmission, distribution, Increased peak demand

and transfer infrastructure on energy system

Energy use Increased demand Reduced growth in Associated eiciency Increased demand and

for indoor cooling demand for heating reduction with increased peak demand, taxing

Increased energy use temperature transmission and

for indoor cooling distribution systems

Cross-sector Competition for Conlicts in water Potential competition Increased vulnerability

impacts water resources allocation during between energy and and uncertainty

Competition for stressed weather nonenergy crops for Increased costs

adequate siting conditions land and water

locations Competition for good resources

siting locations

Global and national policy contexts are informed by such international eforts as
IPCC and such national eforts as the NRC America's Climate Choices study (2010 and
2011). Energy options and choices, including issues related to technological change, are
framed by such key references as NRC, America's Energy Future , 2009, and the ongoing
work of the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium.