An active efficiency approach can boost their resilience by reducing energy demand without shutting off the power.
It involves deploying both passive and active measures across the full-spectrum of energy efficiency.
Recent events in Texas and elsewhere in the US are reminding us that our existing energy system infrastructure and operating structures are increasingly being challenged by severe weather-related events. In Texas, unprecedented freezing temperatures created a “perfect storm” of disruption, including dangerous conditions, decreased energy supply due to electric and gas infrastructure failures, and increased energy demand from building heating systems.
Excessive electrical heating demand in Texas required 6.5 GW of electrical curtailment, meaning that rolling blackouts had to be implemented to maintain grid integrity. These supply-side measures were under the control of grid operators who did their best to avert a complete grid shutdown, but these actions only add