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Climate change reshapes resource adequacy risks and optimal renewable energy siting in wind and solar energy systems

delete2026-07-16
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PRE
AI
L
Liying Qiu
R
Rahman Khorramfar
W
Wang Shen
S
Saurabh Amin
M
Michael F. Howland *
DOI:10.1038/s41560-026-02109-3delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Deep decarbonization through weather-dependent wind and solar can introduce resource adequacy risks. Climate change compounds these risks by simultaneously reshaping renewable supply and electricity demand in synergistic, region-specific ways. Here we show that long-term adequacy challenges in decarbonized grids arise from the interplay between meteorological conditions and system design, driven by prolonged renewable generation shortfalls tied to fine-scale infrastructure siting choices. Using 12-km climate projections with county-level power system optimization for New England and Texas, we find that climate change can increase resource inadequacy frequency up to fivefold by mid-century as rising cooling demand intersects with renewable resource declines or transmission bottlenecks. However, climate-informed planning provides cost-effective mitigation: Texas maintains adequacy at near-zero cost by pivoting wind capacity westward, while New England requires a modest 2.34% investment increase via solar and transmission expansion near load centres. Our findings demonstrate that achieving climate-resilient, decarbonized grids requires moving beyond aggregate capacity goals towards high-resolution, climate-informed spatial planning that reveals localized siting opportunities. Decarbonized grids may face rising resource adequacy risks as weather-driven renewable variability and climate change jointly affect supply and demand. A high-resolution model shows that these risks stem from multi-day power shortfalls and system design, but can be reduced through region-specific, climate-informed siting and transmission planning.

Journal

Nature Energy cover
Nature Energy
IF:
60.1
Papers:
981
Citations:
5.6W

Organization

M
massachusetts institute of technology
Scholars:
3.3K
Papers: 1.2K
Citations: 0
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