For energy systems that power a reliable grid, the future is all about location

MIT researchers have created a framework that combines weather forecasting with power system design to help developers choose smarter locations for wind and solar projects. Their analysis, published Thursday in Nature Energy, found that power grids built around historic weather patterns could face up to five times more energy shortages by 2050 than they currently expect. The good news: designing those systems with future climate conditions taken into account improved grid resilience in both New England and Texas at little to no additional cost. It shows that as we transition to renewables, we can adapt to climate change simply by thinking more carefully about where we build.

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