Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability in Ontario’s Electrical Transmission Sector

December 5, 2017

Presented by:

• Ian McVey (Project Manager, Ontario Climate Consortium Secretariat)
• Joel R. Nodelman (President and CEO, Nodelcorp Consulting Inc.)
• Simon Eng (Climate Analyst, Risk Sciences International)

This webinar discussed the findings of the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment of Ontario’s Electrical Transmission Sector report and how it contributes to a better understanding of the implications of climate change for the electrical system in Ontario. The report focused on the high-voltage transmission system and included:

• A screening-level climate change and engineering vulnerability assessment of a major electrical transmission station in southern Ontario, including high voltage electrical transmission components within the station and major high-voltage circuits into and out of the station; and,
• A first order evaluation of the types of adaptation measures that could be used to help manage severe weather and climate change-related risks across a broader set of transmission system segments.

Conducted over the 2013-2015 time period, the study was overseen by the Power System Planning staff of the Ontario Power Authority, since amalgamated with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), and made use of the Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC) Protocol, an Engineers Canada-developed engineering vulnerability assessment tool.