We are continuing with further study on power grid disparities. Please stay tuned for updates!
Intoduction
Resilience refers to the capacity of a system to endure and recuperate from disturbances or disruptions. In the power sector, resilience is critical to maintaining the stability and reliability of the electricity supply, particularly in the face of extreme weather events. Existing research on power resilience has predominantly focused on system design, operational strategies, and technological innovation. This study aims to explore the relationship between resilience and certain socio-economic factors, which have been largely overlooked in the literature. We first examine a unique customer outage dataset of Massachusetts and demographic data collected from the US Census Bureau. Then we develop a spatial regression model to investigate the spatial disparities in grid resilience and identify potential solutions to ensure equitable access to reliable power for all communities. Our study findings show a notable link between power resilience and specific factors, including the customer number and the percentage of specific races, suggesting that the current power system designs could unintentionally discriminate against some disadvantaged communities. This research provides policymakers and power sector stakeholders with valuable insights to make informed decisions and promote a more equitable and fair power system design in the future.