How A.I. Can Help Utilities Prepare for Extreme Weather Events
With climate change intensifying, extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires, heatwaves, and floods have become more frequent and destructive. This reality has brought increasing challenges to the electric utility industry, as such events are now the leading cause of major power outages across the United States. The impact of extreme weather on the electric grid is growing, leaving millions without power during storms like Hurricane Helene, which recently knocked out electricity for more than 4 million people across Florida and the southeastern U.S.
Faced with aging infrastructure, rising energy demand, and increasingly volatile weather patterns, utility companies are under pressure to adapt. Now, many are turning to artificial intelligence (A.I.) to help manage and mitigate these growing risks.
The Impact of Extreme Weather on Power Grids
Power grids are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. High winds can topple transmission lines, while rain and flooding can damage electrical substations. As hurricanes grow stronger and reach further inland, the risk of widespread power outages is also increasing. Andrea Staid, a researcher at the nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), highlights how their models show an escalating number of power failures along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts as a direct result of more intense storms.
“Hurricanes are not just a coastal problem,” Dr. Staid says. “These storms can travel far inland, causing serious disruptions.” As such, ensuring that communities have access to information and resources before a storm hits is critical to preventing mass outages and mitigating the damage.
Preparing Utilities for the Future
The risks associated with climate change are clear. According to Catie Hausman, a professor at the University of Michigan, extreme weather events are going to get worse, and utility companies need to change the way they operate. “We’re still thinking of the grid as we have for the past 100 years, and it’s increasingly obvious that needs to change,” she said.
Mark Dyson, managing director of the carbon-free electricity program at the Rocky Mountain Institute, points out that the growing intersection of extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and new technologies provides utilities with the chance to embrace innovative solutions like A.I.-driven software.
“Extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and new technology are coming together in a way that creates an opportunity to use better technology, including AI-driven software, to help us keep the lights on and keep the grid affordable,” Dyson explained.
How A.I. Can Help Predict and Prevent Power Outages
As utilities look to modernize their operations and mitigate the effects of extreme weather, A.I. is emerging as a valuable tool. One of the key advantages of A.I. is its ability to analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, providing insights that can help utilities identify potential weak spots in their infrastructure and make strategic upgrades to avoid power failures.
Rhizome, an A.I.-driven company founded in 2022, has developed a platform that helps utilities identify vulnerabilities in their electric grids and plan for future risks. By analyzing data from thousands of past hurricane-related outages, Rhizome’s platform can predict how future storms might impact the grid and where investments should be made to harden poles, move power lines underground, or clear vegetation to prevent disruptions.
“Rhizome’s A.I. platform approach is to fundamentally understand the relationships between hurricane conditions and grid impacts,” says Mishal Thadani, Rhizome’s co-founder. The platform allows utilities to make data-driven decisions, showing how many future potential outages could be avoided for each dollar invested.
This kind of predictive analysis is essential for utilities as they strive to modernize their grids. While A.I. cannot stop a hurricane or wildfire, it can help utilities plan for these events in ways that minimize damage, reduce downtime, and save costs in the long run.
Challenges and Considerations for A.I. in Utilities
While the promise of A.I. in mitigating extreme weather risks is significant, experts caution that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Dr. Hausman points out that A.I. tools are only as effective as the data they are built on and the specific problems they are designed to solve.
“Whether A.I. is giving us something new or a black box of mush is going to depend on the company and the tools they’re using,” she said. That means utilities must ensure they are using the right tools for their specific needs and that they are properly training their teams to interpret and act on A.I.-generated insights.
Another challenge is the cost of upgrading infrastructure. To fully realize the benefits of A.I., utilities will need to make significant investments in both technology and physical upgrades to their grids. This includes burying power lines, reinforcing power poles, and deploying distributed energy resources like solar panels and battery storage.
The Future of Power Grids in a Climate-Driven World
The intersection of extreme weather, A.I., and the electric grid represents a major opportunity for innovation in the utility sector. As the frequency and severity of storms increase, utilities will need to embrace new technologies to remain resilient. Companies like Rhizome offer a glimpse of how A.I.-powered solutions can help utilities predict and prepare for extreme weather in ways that were previously unimaginable.
By integrating A.I. into their operations, utilities can not only reduce the frequency and duration of power outages but also make more efficient use of resources, ultimately delivering more reliable and affordable electricity to their customers.
However, these technologies alone won’t solve the problem. To fully prepare for the challenges ahead, utilities must pair A.I.-driven insights with significant investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, and modern grid technologies. Only then can they hope to keep pace with the growing threat of extreme weather in a rapidly changing climate.
