Energy Resilience Framework

Future-Proofing Energy Systems: The Energy Resilience Framework

Overview

Secure and resilient energy provision is critical in an evolving, connected, and interdependent society. The challenges to consistent energy provision are becoming more frequent, widespread, and severe. The Arup Energy Resilience Framework provides a comprehensive approach to ensuring resilience in energy systems.

Key Components

The framework consists of three main dimensions:

1. Leadership and Strategy
2. Economy and Society
3. Infrastructure and Ecosystem

Each dimension is supported by specific goals and indicators, totaling 66 indicators.

Leadership and Strategy

• Strategic Leadership and Direction: Clear vision, avoiding groupthink, and strong governance.
• Innovation Focus: Long-term focus and continuous innovation.
• Risk Appetite: Defining tolerance to risk and aligning common energy goals.
• Policy Making: Consultative and informed policy making, multi-timescale policy, and transparent regulation.

Economy and Society

• Economic Value: Understanding current and future energy demand and supply.
• Social Responsibility: Clear and realistic targets, social responsibility, and community engagement.
• Geopolitical Context: Understanding geopolitical context and energy trilemma strategy.
• Engaged Consumers: Flexible demand and generation management, data-driven planning, and proactive coordination.

Infrastructure and Ecosystem

• Physical Infrastructure: Reliable asset management, clear physical security strategy, and digital systems and control strategy.
• Ecosystems: Understanding and managing hazards, classifying environmental conditions, and understanding and managing cyber security.
• Redundancy and Interdependence: Considering redundancy, level of interdependency, and impact of known stresses.
• Disaster Management: Whole system thinking, effective disaster response and recovery, and proactive coordination.

Potential Disruptors

• Extreme Weather Events: Tornadoes, dry weather fires, and flooding.
• Digitalization Risks: Cyber attacks and other unintentional events.
• Regulatory and Commercial Models: Pushing new boundaries while avoiding unintended consequences.
• Human Factors: Importance of strategic leadership, clarity of vision, and stakeholder engagement.

Applying the Framework

• Shocks and Stresses: Ageing assets, interconnected systems, extreme weather, new technologies, natural hazards, human error, geopolitical uncertainty, population growth, physical and cyber security threats, and changing consumer expectations.
• Evaluation and Preparation: Using the framework to evaluate and prepare for resilience, ensuring a balanced approach to both technical and non-technical issues.

By applying the Energy Resilience Framework, organizations can enhance their ability to withstand and recover from disruptions, ensuring a sustainable and reliable energy supply.