With increasing extreme weather events like hurricanes and heatwaves due to climate change, the power grid is under greater load than ever before. Power outages are likely to occur more frequently due to damage to infrastructure or due to overdemand. During heatwaves, loads on power grids often become critically high as people boost air-conditioning and other power utilities to deal with the heat. In many counties the power-grid can be overwhelmed and the power may go out. Quickly restoring power (and reinforcing the power infrastructure) is especially critical for people who are dependent on electricity-dependent durable medical and assistive equipment (DME). A power outage can be potentially life threatening if it means medical devices in patients’ homes do not work. So it is essential for local governments to be able to identify and prioritize emergency services and power restoration for this vulnerable population.
In this project, participants will begin to build data analysis tools and methods that can reveal whether there is a correlation between power outage events and areas with significant populations of medically at risk people who depend on DME. We will focus on a June 2016 heatwave, including visualizing the progress of the heatwave over time, working to identify what populations were affected in which counties, and how quickly power was restored to these areas to identify whether the at-risk populations remained safe. From analysis, participants will explore recommendations for prioritizing power restoration for those who depend on DME.
Project Leaders and Trainers:
Subil Abraham
Image source: https://www.energy.gov/oe/articles/doe-announces-transition-eagle-i-oak-ridge-national-laboratory-ornl-taking-advantage