Metrics for energy resilience

• Published in: Energy policy 2014-09, Vol.72, p.249-256
• Main Authors: Roege, Paul E., Collier, Zachary A., Mancillas, James, McDonagh, John A., Linkov, Igor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Clean technology; Design engineering; Dynamical systems; Dynamics; Economic data; Economic development; Economic growth; Economic performance; Energy; Energy economics; Energy planning; Energy policy; Energy sector; Energy security; Energy use; Energy-informed; Exact sciences and technology; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; General, economic and professional studies; Human; Investments; National defense; Optimization; Planning; Resilience; Risk; Studies; Sustainable development; Technology; Transforms
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2014.04.012

Energy lies at the backbone of any advanced society and constitutes an essential prerequisite for economic growth, social order and national defense. However there is an Achilles heel to today׳s energy and technology relationship; namely a precarious intimacy between energy and the fiscal, social, and technical systems it supports. Recently, widespread and persistent disruptions in energy systems have highlighted the extent of this dependence and the vulnerability of increasingly optimized systems to changing conditions. Resilience is an emerging concept that offers to reconcile considerations of performance under dynamic environments and across multiple time frames by supplementing traditionally static system performance measures to consider behaviors under changing conditions and complex interactions among physical, information and human domains. This paper identifies metrics useful to implement guidance for energy-related planning, design, investment, and operation. Recommendations are presented using a matrix format to provide a structured and comprehensive framework of metrics relevant to a system׳s energy resilience. The study synthesizes previously proposed metrics and emergent resilience literature to provide a multi-dimensional model intended for use by leaders and practitioners as they transform our energy posture from one of stasis and reaction to one that is proactive and which fosters sustainable growth. •Resilience is the ability of a system to recover from adversity.•There is a need for methods to quantify and measure system resilience.•We developed a matrix-based approach to generate energy resilience metrics.•These metrics can be used in energy planning, system design, and operations.