This year’s El Niño could be the strongest in over a century—utilities are preempting the fallout. (Latitude Media)
The forecast: NOAA pegs the odds at 61% for an El Niño emerging between May and July, with a 25% chance it qualifies as “very strong,” pushing ocean temps 2°C above average in some regions. Utilities may confront floods or a combo of drought and wildfire conditions—along with spiking demand.
The playbook: In SoCal, SDG&E is hardening stressed circuits to handle intense heatwaves and fortifying low-lying substations against coastal flooding. Up north, Seattle City Light is banking reservoir water as drought risk and early snowmelt threaten summer hydro generation.
The gamble: During the intense 2022-23 El Niño, utilities spent millions preparing for devastating SoCal floods…but they never arrived. Risk analysts’ advice? Utilities can harness AI forecasting to model for the worst-case extremes.