Impact of Wildfires on Power Systems
Qasim Al Saeed, Hamidreza Nazaripouya
Abstract
Power systems, particularly those located near forests, are exposed to wildfires during summer seasons especially in regions with high temperatures. This issue may impact on operation of power systems and thus their reliability and resilience. However, the traditional reliability and resilience models may not be effective anymore as such events occur more frequently and their impacts are broader than the ones were previously considered in system reliability assessments. In this study, the byproducts of wildfires are identified, and their impacts on power grids are modeled to provide a better picture for reliability and resilience assessments. These models will help analyze the effect of wildfires on different components in a power system, for instance, the impact of heat, smoke, or ash on the power lines and renewable energy resources. Studying the effects of wildfires on electrical power systems, analyzing and formulating these impacts, and determining their intensity on electrical components and energy production are contributions of this paper.