New IEA database maps where weather threatens electricity supply
The agency’s public tool combines reported outages, infrastructure maps and examples of how operators manage risk.
The International Energy Agency opened a public database on November 10 that lets planners compare where electricity infrastructure is exposed to hazards and where power has already been disrupted. Its first release focuses on electricity systems, with broader energy coverage planned.
The IEA says it has logged about 3,000 reported power outages linked to severe weather and other natural hazards since 2022. The records span more than 150 countries. The agency estimates that those disruptions temporarily cut power to an average of around 190 million electricity customers per year.
An accompanying map puts more than a tenth of electricity assets in floodplains. The IEA estimates that roughly 30% are exposed to tropical cyclones of varying intensity and around 20% to prolonged extreme heat. Those estimates describe exposure. Whether an asset fails also depends on its design and the conditions it faces.
The observatory pairs the maps with more than 130 examples of measures that utilities and governments can consider. The examples include reinforcing equipment, improving monitoring and changing how operators prepare for disruptions.