Enhancing Power Grid Resilience: Evaluating Strategic Tradeoffs Using a Combined Qualitative and Quantitative Approach

As the reliability of electric power becomes increasingly vital to modern American life, strengthening the resilience of the power grid has taken on greater importance. With growing threats from climate change and ongoing physical and cyberattacks, the need to bolster system resilience is expected to intensify in the future. Despite the attention the topic receives, there is a lack of in-depth, data-driven analysis evaluating how effective and economically viable different resilience strategies are. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine and evaluate various strategies aimed at improving power system resilience, supporting more informed planning as the grid continues to evolve. Chapter 2 offers a review of resilience measures found in existing literature, noting that the available research often lacks consistency, especially in analyzing costs and performance. By compiling a detailed list of resilience options and summarizing current knowledge on their financial and operational impacts, this chapter contributes a more structured foundation to the field.