www.resilient-energy.org | www.nrel.gov/usaid-partnership

Resilient

Energy Platform 

Power Sector Resilience 

Technical Solutions

Background 

Power sector vulnerabilities—weaknesses within infrastructure, systems, or 

operations—are susceptible to natural, 

technological, and human-caused threats. 

Impacts from these threats include:

• Power or water outages resulting from 

physical infrastructure damage or 

aging infrastructure

• Fuel supply, food, and water shortages

• Shifts in energy demand

• Ancillary financial, economic, and social 

implications of failures within systems.

In a world that relies increasingly on 

electricity services, addressing these vulnerabilities and building resilient power 

systems are critical to providing reliable 

and sustainable services, energy security, 

economic well‐being, and quality of life. 

As a critical first step to enable resilience 

and identify solutions, countries and 

localities can undertake power system 

vulnerability assessments that allow key 

stakeholders to determine where and 

under what conditions their systems may 

be vulnerable to natural threats—such as 

rising temperatures and sea levels, changing precipitation patterns, more frequent 

and severe episodes of extreme weather, 

and natural disasters—as well as humancaused threats, such as cyber-attacks and 

accidents. Based on this assessment, key 

technical solutions described in this fact 

sheet can be identified to enhance a site’s 

resilience and, when replicated across 

a broader grid system, can enhance 

the power system as a whole. While 

traditional measures for resilient systems 

exist, including grid hardening (e.g., 

undergrounding of lines, strengthening 

transmission towers, etc.) this fact sheet 

includes emerging technical solutions. For 

detailed information on the power sector 

vulnerability assessment process and 

to learn from the experiences of other 

countries, visit: www.resilient-energy.org.

Technical Solutions

Clean energy technical solutions can 

enhance resilience across the grid system 

to help provide more reliable and resilient 

power to end users. Several cutting-edge 

technologies and approaches are 

enabling countries to better prepare for 

and address threats to the power system. 

This fact sheet provides an overview of 

key technical solutions to support power 

sector resilience. 

Photovoltaic technologies can be an integral part of diverse and resilient power system portfolios. 

Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL 26962

What is Power Sector Resilience?

The ability to anticipate, prepare for, 

and adapt to changing conditions and 

withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly 

from disruptions to the power sector 

through adaptable and holistic planning and 

technical solutions (Hotchkiss et al. 2018).
Diversifying energy

generation sources

Resilient power systems often incorporate 

a diverse portfolio of electricity generation technologies to increase reliability 

and allow for service disruptions to be 

mitigated and resolved quickly (Cox et 

al. 2016). Resources can be diversified in 

relation to geography, fuel use needs, 

and water needs to support a more 

climate-resilient power system. As part 

of a portfolio-diversification strategy, 

renewable energy technologies can 

provide a power source that is harder to 

disrupt relative to traditional technologies. Relying on any one source of energy 

will create an unnecessary vulnerability 

to a power system. Utilizing appropriate 

renewable energy technologies and 

storage solutions and, in some cases, 

pairing those with fossil fuels, will not 

only enhance the resilience of a system 

through fuel diversification but will also 

reduce emissions associated with fossil 

fuel consumption. Solutions presented 

here are system-specific; power system 

planners and operators should undergo 

a vulnerability assessment and develop a 

resilience strategy that is specific to their 

vulnerabilities and needs.

Distributed generation 

Decentralizing energy sources is a 

technique used to enhance power 

system resilience. On-site renewable 

energy generation (or other generators) 

can reduce the disruption to a site of a 

grid outage, mitigating the impacts of a 

long-term outage. Microgrids are often 

implemented where on-site renewable 

energy is combined with energy storage 

to support resilience. Systems that are 

designed to operate in islanded mode 

can be isolated from a larger grid, allowing the system to generate and distribute 

energy on-site in the event of a power 

outage. The capability of microgrids to 

operate in islanded mode can be critical 

in supporting resilience by providing a 

backup resource during a grid outage 

while also allowing certain loads to be 

covered as linemen secure the larger grid. 

An additional benefit of microgrids is they 

can be designed to provide power to 

critical loads, such as health care facilities, 

during a grid outage. 

Energy storage

Integrating storage into electricity grid 

systems can help smooth variation in 

renewable energy sources, such as wind 

and solar generation, while adding 

redundancy to the grid in the event of 

power outages. When distributed systems 

with battery storage are connected to 

the larger grid, they can be designed, 

through interconnection agreements 

with a utility provider, to include islanding 

controls and energy storage to allow for 

grid disconnection that enables operation 

behind the meter, without back-feeding 

power to the larger grid. This configuration allows for independent operation 

during grid outages and the provision 

of low-emission power when the grid is 

Microgrids and Renewable Energy in Rural Areas

Using renewable energy, battery systems, and islanding controls to create a microgrid 

in rural areas not only increases the resilience of a community or a facility, but also has 

the potential to meet rural electrification goals. Using microgrids with on-site renewable 

energy to supply backup power during grid outages will alleviate the need for fossil fuels 

when fuel supply chains may be disrupted, particularly in rural areas that may be more 

challenging to resupply during large-scale disruptive events.

Photo from iStock 453305585

Storage Supports Resilience in 

the Dominican Republic

During Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 

2017, the Dominican Republic was able 

to utilize 20 MW of battery storage at two 

power plants to support grid stability, 

frequency control, and critical reliability 

services of the interconnected power 

system. Many island nations impacted 

by hurricanes are now planning to scale 

up deployment of microgrids, renewable 

energy, and storage systems to support 

resilience of the power system during 

future storm occurrences. 
operating normally or when the grid is 

down. While the most common energy 

storage technologies are batteries, other 

storage methods may include flywheels, 

compressed air energy storage, and 

pumped hydro storage. While energy 

storage is a key component of microgrids, 

it’s important to consider whether storage 

solutions can enhance resilience on the 

larger grid as a whole. Incorporating 

well-designed battery storage, for 

example, at the residential scale, can 

enhance resilience across the grid system 

to help provide more reliable and resilient 

power to end users. 

Utility-scale energy storage can be an 

important component of renewable 

energy integration for resilience and 

improves stability and reliability, allowing 

for response and recovery to a disaster 

in different ways than a conventional 

system. While distributed or microgrid 

renewable energy systems can be 

incorporated without energy storage, 

adding the flexibility of energy storage 

technologies may allow microgrids or 

critical loads to operate for longer periods 

of time without grid connection. 

Demand-side management

and efficiency

Demand-side energy management is 

often overlooked in power sector resilience strategies; however, this technical 

solution can support both short- and 

long-term goals. Energy demand management, also known as demand-side 

management or demand-side response, 

is the modification of consumer energy 

use through education and behavior 

change; energy efficiency measures; and 

financing incentives, such as utility tariff 

structuring. During short-term extreme 

events, demand-side management can 

reduce peak loads as well as the need 

for increased generation over time. This 

technique can reduce the loads needed 

to be met by on-site generation or 

battery storage capacity. Good utility-scale demand-side management and 

approaches, such as improved energy 

efficient building codes, can support a 

more resilient power system. 

Smart grids

A smart grid provides two-way communication and flexible control within an 

electricity network to support flexibility, 

efficiency, and resilience. In many ways, 

smart grids can bring together all of 

the technical solutions highlighted 

above under a more resilient electricity 

system. Through automation technology, 

technologies or devices within a smart 

grid collect data in real time that can be 

analyzed by utilities and system operators. 

Grid technologies, or “nodes,” can then be 

controlled and altered based on the data 

received and analysis of the situation. In 

the context of climate resilience, smart 

grids can support several positive outcomes. For example, because of real-time 

communication on changing needs and 

circumstances associated with extreme 

climate-related events (e.g., storms and 

other disasters), responses and decisions 

regarding new power needs and power 

diversion can be made quickly. If a generation source is impacted by a storm, other 

generation sources can be accessed more 

quickly, and power can also be diverted 

to critical facilities, such as hospitals. 

Smart meters can allow for this type of 

responsiveness by sending data directly 

from electricity meters to energy providers, and can enable islandable systems 

to support resilience during disasters or 

grid outages. Additionally, reducing peak 

loads can lessen system instability and 

stress during extreme events and can 

reduce the need for increased electricity 

supply over time. With any smart-grid 

control system, it is important to factor in 

cybersecurity measures to ensure secure 

communication between devices. 

Relocating or fortifying

vulnerable assets

Understanding where the most at-risk 

assets exist within the power system will 

help with activities such as relocating 

assets above flood levels and away from 

potential high-risk areas, such as along 

coastlines (moving inland and upland), or 

burying underground aerial lines that are 

at risk from high winds or that serve the 

most critical facilities (e.g., medical centers 

or emergency shelters). 

Resilient Energy Platform

The Resilient Energy Platform helps countries and localities address power system 

vulnerabilities by providing strategic 

resources and direct country support 

to enable planning and deployment of 

resilient energy solutions. This includes 

expertly curated reference material, 

training materials, data, tools, and 

direct technical assistance in planning 

resilient, sustainable, and secure power 

systems. Ultimately, these resources 

enable decision makers to assess power 

sector vulnerabilities, identify resilience 

solutions, and make informed decisions 

to enhance energy sector resilience at 

all scales, including local, regional, and 

national scales. To learn more about the 

technical solutions highlighted in this fact 

sheet, visit the Resilient Energy Platform 

website at: www.resilient-energy.org.

Interconnected Smart 

Grids and Meteorological 

Information

Real-time weather data, along with 

smart-grid controls, can help with 

fault detection as well as support the 

incorporation of higher penetrations 

of renewable energy generation 

sources with variable energy. 

Meteorological data can help with 

load predictions on grid systems 

and enable base load control with 

variability from technologies such as 

hydro, solar, and wind. Additionally, 

smart-grid controls can be used to 

segregate circuits and communicate 

with various feeders. Redirecting 

loads during major grid outages, 

or allowing distributed renewable 

systems to operate in islanded 

mode, can reduce the impacts of 

grid outages.
www.resilient-energy.org | www.nrel.gov/usaid-partnership

Jennifer E. Leisch, Ph.D.

USAID-NREL Partnership Manager

U.S. Agency for International Development

Tel: +1-303-913-0103 | Email: jleisch@usaid.gov

Sadie Cox

Senior Researcher

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Tel: +1-303-384-7391 | Email: sadie.cox@nrel.gov

The Resilient Energy Platform provides expertly curated resources, training, tools, and technical assistance 

to enhance power sector resilience. The Resilient Energy Platform is supported by the U.S. Agency for 

International Development.

The USAID-NREL Partnership addresses critical challenges to scaling up advanced energy systems 

through global tools and technical assistance, including the Renewable Energy Data Explorer, Greening the 

Grid, the International Jobs and Economic Development Impacts tool, and the Resilient Energy Platform. 

More information can be found at: www.nrel.gov/usaid-partnership.

This work was authored, in part, by the National Renewable 

Energy Laboratory (NREL), operated by Alliance for Sustainable 

Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under 

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by the 

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 

under Contract No. IAG-17-2050. The views expressed in this 

report do not necessarily represent the views of the DOE or the 

U.S. Government, or any agency thereof, including USAID.

References and

Resources to Learn More 

Brown, Ray, Guillaume Prudent-Richard, 

and Katrina O’Mara. “Enhancing Power 

Sector Resilience: Emerging Practices to 

Manage Weather and Geological Risks.” 

World Bank. Washington, D.C. June 2016. 

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/

handle/10986/26382

Clean Energy Group. “Resilient Power—

A Project of Clean Energy Group.”

Seth Mullendore, project director.

https://www.cleanegroup.org/

ceg-projects/resilient-power-project/

Cox, Sadie, Eliza Hotchkiss, Dan Bilello, 

Andrea Watson, Alison Holm, National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); 

and Jennifer Leisch, U.S. Agency for 

International Development (USAID). 

“Bridging Climate Change Resilience 

and Mitigation in the Electricity Sector 

Through Renewable Energy and Energy 

Efficiency—Emerging Climate Change 

and Development Topics for Energy 

Sector Transformation.” NREL/TP-6A20-

67040. November 2017.

https://www.nrel.gov/docs/

fy18osti/67040.pdf

Cox, Sadie, Pieter Gagnon, Sherry Stout, 

Owen Zinaman, Andrea Watson, and Eliza 

Hotchkiss, NREL. “Distributed Generation 

to Support Development-Focused 

Climate Action—Emerging Climate 

Change and Development Topics for 

Energy Sector Transformation: An EC-LEDS 

White Paper Series.” NREL/TP-6A20-66597. 

September 2016.

https://www.nrel.gov/docs/

fy16osti/66597.pdf

Field, C. B., V. Barros, T. F. Stocker, D. Qin,

D. J. Dokken, K. L. Ebi, M. D. Mastrandrea,

K. J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S. K. Allen, 

M. Tignor, and P. M. Midgely [Editors]. 

“Managing the Risks of Extreme Events 

and Disasters to Advance Climate Change 

Adaptation—A Special Report of Working 

Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental 

Panel on Climate Change.” Cambridge 

University Press. Cambridge, United 

Kingdom, and New York, NY. 2012.

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/

managing-the-risks-of-extreme-eventsand-disasters-to-advance-climatechange-adaptation/

Hotchkiss, Eliza, Alex Dane, and Connie 

Komomua. “Resilience Roadmap.” 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 

(NREL), 2018. https://www.nrel.gov/

resilience-planning-roadmap/

Queensland Reconstruction Authority. 

“Planning for Stronger, More Resilient 

Electrical Infrastructure—Improving the 

Resilience of Electrical Infrastructure 

During Flooding and Cyclones.” 2011. 

https://www.statedevelopment.qld.

gov.au/resources/guideline/qra/

planning-resilient-electricalinfrastructure.pdf

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). 

“U.S. Energy Sector Vulnerabilities

to Climate Change and Extreme

Weather.” Washington, D.C. 2013.

https://www.energy.gov/downloads/

us-energy-sector-vulnerabilitiesclimate-change-and-extreme-weatherWang, Xiaoping, Ray Brown, Guillaume 

Prudent-Richard, and Katrina O’Mara. 

“Enhancing Power Sector Resilience 

Emerging Practices to Manage Weather 

and Geological Risks.” The World Bank, 2016.

http://documents.worldbank.org/

curated/en/469681490855955624/

pdf/113894-ESMAP-PUBLIC-FINALEnhancingPowerSectorResilienceMar.pdf

Acknowledgements

Jennifer E. Leisch, USAID; Kate Anderson, 

Alicen Kandt, Emily Newes, and Dan 

Bilello, NREL.

NREL/TP-6A20-73506 | May 2019

NREL prints on paper that contains recycled content.

Written by Eliza Hotchkiss and Sadie Cox, National Renewable Energy Laboratory