Storm Surge and Blackouts in Southeastern Florida, and How Clean Energy Can Help

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that significant portions of the U.S. East and Gulf Coast electricity grids are exposed to storm surge, a risk that will increase as sea levels rise. In southeastern Florida, the number of major substations at risk from a Category 3 storm is projected to triple by 2070. The report advocates for a shift from centralized grids to decentralized, resilient power systems—such as microgrids and renewable energy with storage—to protect critical facilities and reduce carbon emissions.

• A significant portion of electricity infrastructure serving over 70 million coastal residents on 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 southeastern Florida, 37 of 222 major substations and two small power plants are currently exposed to flooding from a major storm; this number of exposed substations is projected to more than double by 2050 and more than triple by 2070.
• Analysis of five metropolitan regions shows that the share of substations exposed to storm surge today ranges from 16 percent in southeastern Florida to nearly 70 percent in the central Gulf Coast.
• The report identifies three primary adaptation strategies for electricity infrastructure: protection (building defenses like seawalls), accommodation (elevating equipment or using submersible gear), and retreat (relocating or retiring at-risk infrastructure).
• Decentralized clean energy solutions—including renewable energy with storage, combined heat and power (CHP) plants, and microgrids—can provide more reliable power to critical facilities than the centralized grid or diesel backup generators.
• The cost of wind and solar power has decreased by 60 to 70 percent over the five years preceding the report, making resilient power systems more cost-effective for various communities.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2015). Storm Surge and Blackouts in Southeastern Florida, and How Clean Energy Can Help. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/lights-out-southeastern-florida.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Storm Surge and Blackouts in Southeastern Florida, and How Clean Energy Can Help. 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/lights-out-southeastern-florida.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Storm Surge and Blackouts in Southeastern Florida, and How Clean Energy Can Help |date=October 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/lights-out-southeastern-florida.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2015storm, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Storm Surge and Blackouts in Southeastern Florida, and How Clean Energy Can Help}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/lights-out-southeastern-florida.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }