Mitigation of Extreme Event Risks: The Case of Electric Power

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

"Mitigation of Extreme Event Risks: The Case of Electric Power" Risk management in the electric power industry has been greatly complicated by the advent of deregulation, increasing competition, and threats of terrorism. Electric power failures in a disaster have the potential to generate regional catastrophes through cascading effects on other critical infrastructure systems such as telecommunications, water, transportation, and hospitals. The objectives of this study are to investigate the potential for these cascading impacts and to identify promising mitigation strategies to contain them. The research will involve three closely linked tasks: development of influence diagrams, fragility curves, and other measures of cascading effects; development of disaster scenarios that set these effects within the context of specific hazards; and identification of promising mitigation strategies through an expert-based ranking exercise. The hazards to be addressed include earthquake and severe winter storm, as well as flood, drought, and terrorism. The study focuses on the Pacific Northwest. This study attempts to broaden risk management frameworks by investigating the interaction effects of multiple infrastructure systems, adopting a multi-hazard perspective, and bringing together expertise in engineering and the social sciences. Through training and course content, the project will expose students to multidisciplinary research. The study will also forge a new research partnership between U.S. and Canadian research institutions. Benefits of the research include mitigation strategies for addressing the potentially catastrophic effects of electric power disruption in natural and human-induced disasters.