Staff Workshop - Forthcoming Solicitation Regarding Climate Scenarios and Analyses to Support Electricity Sector Vulnerability Assessment and Resilient Planning

California Energy Commission (CEC) staff will conduct a staff workshop to seek input from stakeholders on forthcoming solicitation regarding climate scenarios and analyses to support electricity sector vulnerability assessment and resilient planning.

For more information please see the notice

Agenda

CEC staff are seeking input from research community stakeholders, investor-owned utilities (IOUs), and other interested stakeholders to inform the scope and structure of an anticipated solicitation. The proposed solicitation will support development of next-generation climate projections for California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment (Fifth Assessment) and delivery of data in a manner that informs energy sector planning and research through stakeholder engagement, data analytics, and development of a data platform. The proposed solicitation contributes to implementation of the 2018-2020 Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Triennial Investment Plan. Delivery of data from the proposed solicitation will be coordinated with broader stakeholder engagement efforts led by the Strategic Growth Council and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research in support of an anticipated Fifth Assessment. This workshop will:

1. Present initial ideas on the scope and structure of an EPIC-funded research solicitation, planned for release in the second quarter of 2020, that would:

1. Develop downscaled climate projections for California that will support the Fifth Assessment;
2. Identify priority projections for consideration in energy-related research and planning;
3. Vigorously engage energy sector stakeholders to identify how projected climate data can support research and adaptation efforts;
4. Develop analytical approaches to meeting stakeholder needs; and
5. Provide a data platform that supports use of climate projections for California.

2. Offer stakeholders the opportunity to weigh in, in a public forum (oral and/or written comment), regarding the scope and structure of proposed research, as well as processes to facilitate production of actionable research.

The proposed research intends to contribute to a scientifically rigorous foundation for anticipating and adapting to climate and weather-related challenges, thereby fostering climate adaptation in the electricity sector. It is anticipated that the climate projections delivered by this research will support the Fifth Assessment, and that the stakeholder engagement and analytics components of the research will directly support use of the projections by energy-related researchers and by investor-owned utilities’ (IOUs) in adaptation planning.

To ensure that funded research is scoped and structured to provide actionable results, the CEC seeks to engage stakeholders and IOUs early in and throughout the process. Feedback elicited during this workshop as well as through written public comments submitted to the docket will inform the specific research goals, scope, and approach to be targeted in a forthcoming Grant Funding Opportunity (GFO).

Public Comment

Oral comments: Staff will accept oral comments during the workshop. Comments may be limited to five minutes per speaker and one speaker per organization. Any comments may become part of the public record for this proceeding.

Written comments: Written comments must be submitted to the Docket Unit by
5:00 p.m. on December 30, 2019. Written comments will also be accepted at the workshop; however, the CEC may not have time to review them before the conclusion of the meeting.

Written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (e.g. address, phone number, email address) become part of the viewable public record. This information may also become available via any Internet search engine.

The CEC encourages use of its electronic commenting system. Visit our Research Idea Exchange Docket: https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/Ecomment/Ecomment.aspx?docketnumber=19-ERDD-01

Presentation

• Climate Scenarios and Analyses to Support Electricity Sector Vulnerability Assessment and Resilient Planning - PowerPoint 

WebEx Recording

• Workshop Recording  - YouTube