Climate Change and Energy Infrastructure Exposure to Storm Surge and Sea-Level Rise

Abstract

This study provides an initial assessment of the effects of the interaction of sea-level rise (SLR) and storm surge on the exposure of energy infrastructure to coastal flooding. As recent hurricane events have demonstrated, this study found that an extensive amount of U.S. energy infrastructure is currently exposed to damage from hurricane storm surge and that climate change is likely to substantially increase the vulnerability of many energy facilities in the coming decades. The study also concludes that any significant increase in the frequency of intense hurricanes in a warmer climate would further exacerbate infrastructure exposure to storm surge and wind damage.