Lights Out?

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that significant portions of the U.S. East and Gulf Coast electricity grids are currently exposed to coastal flooding, a risk that will increase as sea levels rise. In the central Gulf Coast specifically, 188 major substations and 20 power plants are currently at risk from a major storm. The report argues that relying on historical flood data is insufficient and recommends a combination of infrastructure adaptation (protection, accommodation, and retreat) and the deployment of decentralized clean energy solutions—such as microgrids and solar with storage—to ensure community resilience and reduce the carbon emissions driving sea level rise.

• A significant amount of critical electricity infrastructure along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts is already exposed to flooding from severe storms, and this exposure will increase as sea levels rise.
• In the central Gulf Coast region, nearly 70 percent of major substations (188) and 20 power plants, representing over 9,300 megawatts of capacity, are currently exposed to flooding from a major storm.
• Future sea level rise will increase both the extent and depth of flooding; for example, in southeastern Florida, the number of major substations exposed to a Category 3 storm could triple by 2070.
• The central Gulf Coast is projected to experience a local sea level rise of approximately 1.9 feet by 2050, which may reduce the effectiveness of existing defenses like levees and storm surge barriers.
• Current infrastructure planning often relies on static FEMA assessments and historical data that underestimate future flood risks.
• Decentralized clean energy solutions, including microgrids, combined heat and power (CHP) plants, and solar power coupled with battery storage, provide a more resilient alternative to the centralized grid and unreliable diesel backup generators.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2015). Lights Out? https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/lights-out-central-gulf-coast.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Lights Out? 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/lights-out-central-gulf-coast.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Lights Out? |date=October 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/lights-out-central-gulf-coast.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2015lights, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Lights Out?}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/lights-out-central-gulf-coast.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }