Vice President Joe Biden highlighted the importance of a new partnership among Seattle City Light and 16 other utilities that will work to improve the resilience of the country’s energy infrastructure in the face of extreme weather and climate change.
Biden announced the U.S. Department of Energy’s Partnership for Energy Sector Climate Resilience as part of the department’s first Quadrennial Energy Review, which provides a comprehensive look at the current state of the U.S. energy industry and highlights the Obama administration’s priorities, including climate change and grid security.
City Light Compliance Officer Jim Baggs will represent City Light at an official launch of the partnership April 30 in Washington, D.C., with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.
“We’re eager to be a part of this team and help develop strategies for adapting to the challenges presented by climate change, including extreme weather and reduced mountain snowpack for hydroelectric operations,” Baggs said.
The purpose of the partnership is to:
- Enhance Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment of Climate-Resilient Energy Technologies
- Foster enabling policies to remove market barriers and encourage building climate resilience into energy systems
- Provide technical information, assistance and decision-support tools
- Convene and Partner with Federal Agencies, Private Sector and other stakeholders