Wind, solar operators urged to invest now to protect infrastructure from climate risk
Wind and solar operators in Canada are being urged to reduce the likelihood of future catastrophic grid outages by making their infrastructure more resilient to climate change.
Renewable energy operators from across the country are gathered at a conference in Calgary to discuss the risks climate change-related extreme weather poses to their industry.
Vittoria Bellissimo of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association says all types of power generation, including fossil fuel-fired production, is vulnerable to damage or outages in the event of natural disasters such as wildfire, flooding and severe storms.
She says as renewable power makes up a greater proportion of overall electricity generation, operators will need to consider whether their infrastructure is prepared for a changing climate and an increasing number of severe weather events.
In an extreme example of what severe weather can do to renewable energy infrastructure, a 2019 hailstorm that hit a solar farm in Texas damaged 400,000 out of the site's 685,000 panels, resulting in losses estimated at more than US$70 million.
Bellissimo says there are many things operators can do to make their infrastructure more resilient, from choosing the right location for renewable generation to investing in technology.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler arrested at PGA Championship for traffic violation
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was taken to jail for not following police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
NEW What a wildfire survivor says she regrets not grabbing before leaving home
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Four 1970s homicides linked to serial killer, Alberta Mounties to reveal Friday
A dead serial sexual offender and killer has been linked to four homicides in the 1970s in Alberta, RCMP say.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
'Another pair of eyes watching over me:' How a B.C. woman's guide dog saved her from drowning
A B.C. woman says her guide dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.