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Energy-Transport Sector Interdependence in Extreme Events: the Case of a Hurricane Event in Boston

  • Energy Markets (R Sioshansi and S Mousavian, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This paper examines the governance challenges of intersectoral critical infrastructure interdependencies. Between 2015 and 2017, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) supported a team of researchers at Northeastern University and The Ohio State University to evaluate critical infrastructure interdependencies between the energy and transportation sectors in the context of a potential hurricane event in the Boston metro region. The paper reports on 2 years of semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and infrastructure operators. The results provide insights gained from the interviews and a workshop convened jointly by Northeastern University, the Boston Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Recent Findings

Research relating to the resilience of interdependent critical infrastructure has proliferated in recent years. Nearly all of this research involves analysis of secondary data or abstracted operational models, rather than in-depth interviews of on-the-ground infrastructure owners and operators.

Summary

This paper identifies a number of important constraints that undermine critical infrastructure resilience. At its core, infrastructure resilience is less a question of managerial desire or skill, or technical resources or design, but is a larger institutional challenge. The institutional environment in which energy and transportation infrastructure operates ultimately informs and defines resilience efforts.

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Notes

  1. ROE rate determination is the subject of a long and arduous literature involving calculations of the utility’s opportunity cost, and is informed by current yields on treasuries, the Federal Funds Rate, and other metrics of comparable investments the utility could make in lieu of cost recovery approval. Interested readers are encouraged to see Phillips (1993).

  2. See https://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/rto.asp

  3. Note that the severity of Superstorm Sandy was not large enough to obtain the technical designation of a Hurricane.

  4. During a workshop engagement session, a respondent noted that Massport relocated HVAC systems from the rooftops of its facilities to ground level after high wind events displaced much of the rooftop equipment. Subsequent to their relocation to ground level, a coastal flooding event destroyed a large volume of the relocated equipment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Steve Flynn, Matthias Ruth, Ramteen Sioshansi, Amir Mousavian, Peter Boynton, Warren Edwards, Connor Goddard, Christopher Grasso, Robin White, Aron Ezaz, The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) at the University of Illinois, and participants at the 2016 Interdependent Critical Infrastructure Hurricane Preparedness workshop at Northeastern University. The authors thank Sophie Anderson for her excellent work as research assistant.

Funding

This work was funded by the US Department of Homeland Security, Grant # 2015-ST-061-CIRC-01.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Noah Dormady

  2. Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI), University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA

    Noah Dormady

  3. Center for Risk and the Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Noah Dormady

  4. Columbus, USA

    Noah Dormady

  5. Communication Studies, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Ryan Ellis

  6. Global Resilience Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Ryan Ellis

  7. Boston, USA

    Ryan Ellis

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  1. Noah Dormady
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Noah Dormady.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

Noah Dormady reports grants and personal fees from US Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) during the conduct of the study.

Ryan Ellis reports grants and personal fees from US Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) during the conduct of the study.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Disclaimer Statement

The findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this paper are the product of research by the authors and do not represent the views of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, Northeastern University, the Global Resilience Institute, the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or any of the institutions or organizations that were engaged in the course of the research.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Energy Markets

Appendix. List of Participant Organizations

Appendix. List of Participant Organizations

Air Worldwide

Boston Planning and Development Agency

City of Boston Office of Emergency Management

Eversource

FEMA

Global Companies

Independent System Operators New England

Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

Massachusetts Department of Homeland Security

Massachusetts Department of Public Safety

Massachusetts Dept. of Energy Resources

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency

Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Massachusetts Petroleum Council/API

Massachusetts Port Authority

MassDOT

MassDOT Highway Operations

Meridian Institute

MIT Lincoln Laboratory

National Grid

NE Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association

Northeastern University

Reinauer Transportation Companies LLC

risQ

Sunoco

Swissport Fueling

The Ohio State University

The Wharton School

US Coast Guard

US Department of Homeland Security

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Dormady, N., Ellis, R. Energy-Transport Sector Interdependence in Extreme Events: the Case of a Hurricane Event in Boston. Curr Sustainable Renewable Energy Rep 5, 1–13 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-018-0095-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-018-0095-7

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