[20170920]IN10781_飓风和电力基础设施硬化.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Hurricanes and Electricity Infrastructure Hardening Richard J. Campbell Specialist in Energy Policy September 20, 2017 This Insight discusses the measures undertaken by electric utilities to prevent or mitigate power outages resulting from severe weather events. Power lines and transformers used to provide electricity to customers are particularly susceptible to damage due to their exposure to the elements. (See CRS Report R42696, Weather-Related Power Outages and Electric System Resiliency.) The loss of life and extensive damage seen so far in the 2017 hurricane season has refocused the attention of Congress on the destructive potential of such storms. High winds, rain, and coastal surges can combine to create floods which exacerbate damage from hurricanes. Other severe weather events such as ice storms can be equally as destructive as hurricanes and tropical storms, and can also affect entire U.S. regions. Infrastructure Hardening Winds and rain from hurricane-type events tend to cause different types of power system failures than snow and ice events. Power outages from hurricane-type events are most often a result of da