Schneider Electric: Grid Resiliency for a Changing Climate
Communities and businesses worldwide are facing mounting disruption as extreme weather intensifies, underlining the urgent need for stronger energy resilience. NASA’s latest data revealed a dramatic rise in the intensity of weather events, with floods, droughts and storms becoming “more frequent, longer lasting and more severe.” For energy systems, this escalation means heightened risks of outages, infrastructure damage and volatility in supply. Building resilient, adaptive networks is no longer optional – it is critical to safeguarding economies, livelihoods and the path to net zero.
Philippe Arsonneau joined Schneider Electric nearly two decades ago and now serves as SVP of Infrastructure Segment, Schneider Electric. He shares his expertise on the role of the grid in the future of global energy security.
Extreme weather events are becoming more intense and widespread. Why is energy resilience such a critical global priority right now?
From catastrophic wildfires to prolonged droughts and heatwaves, the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather events are becoming the norm. In fact, there is now an
86% chance that the global temperature will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels between now and the end of 2030. That has profound implications for the climate and the resilience of critical infrastructure, and particularly the power grid.
Electricity is the backbone of modern society, and increasingly of decarbonisation itself. But grid infrastructure in many countries is ageing, centralised and not designed to cope with the effects of climate-related events. Already, global insured losses from extreme weather are projected to reachUS$145bn, with the energy system often one of the first points of failure.
In this context, resilience is more than a technical challenge. It’s a socioeconomic imperative. From emergency services and hospitals to data centres and water systems, every sector depends on energy security. That means preparing the grid to withstand shocks, and to recover faster, limit service interruptions, and minimise cascading consequences.
What does a ‘resilient’ power grid look like in practice — and what technologies are enabling this shift?
A resilient grid is defined less by its size and more by its intelligence. It delivers more than power. It adapts dynamically under pressure, with real-time insight into potential disruptions and the ability to respond autonomously.
Digitalisation plays a central role here. At Schneider Electric, we are supporting utilities in deploying technologies such as Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS), smart RTUs, and AI-enabled analytics that help detect faults before they happen, reroute energy to maintain supply, and guide maintenance crews to affected areas. For example, utilities like
PG&E in the US and Elektrilevi in Estonia are using our EcoStruxure DERMS to manage distributed energy resources and reduce strain on the grid during peak or adverse conditions.
We’re also seeing the integration of AI and satellite data to strengthen resilience, such as through platforms like AiDash, which enable utilities to assess vegetation risk in real time and proactively mitigate wildfire exposure. And in Italy, Distribution System Operator Unareti is using our ADMS platform to improve asset visibility and accelerate response times in dense urban areas like Milan.
All of this reduces dependence on emergency backup systems and instead embeds adaptability into everyday grid operations. That’s the essence of resilience. It's about resisting change and being equipped to manage it intelligently.
How does building resilience align with global sustainability goals? Aren’t these separate agendas?
In many ways, resilience is the enabler of sustainability. Without reliable infrastructure, we risk delaying the integration of renewables, undermining net zero targets, and defaulting to carbon-intensive fallback systems when the grid fails.
Take wind energy, for example. During the recent Storm Eowyn, turbines were forced to shut down temporarily to prevent mechanical damage. This serves a reminder that even clean energy sources are vulnerable without smart integration. On the other hand, on other days, wind farms in Scotland supplied nearly half of Britain’s electricity, showcasing their potential when well managed. Smart grid technologies help us capture that potential reliably, balancing intermittency and ensuring consistent power flows.
Resilience also plays a critical role in protecting vulnerable populations. With more than 80 million people globally displaced due to conflict, violence and climate-related disasters, energy security has real-world social implications. Keeping hospitals powered, communications online and cooling systems operational during heatwaves can be life-saving.
Moreover, resilience can be measured. Metrics like SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) help quantify how often and how long customers experience power outages. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. customer in 2022 experienced 335.5 minutes of service interruption. Even when major weather events were excluded, the SAIDI value still rose to 125.7 minutes, which is the highest in a decade, marking a steady year-over-year decline in grid performance since 2013.
Digitisation plays a pivotal role in enhancing grid efficiency by maximising the use of existing infrastructure. One key example is the strategic curtailment of certain customers during peak periods or grid congestion. By temporarily reducing their consumption or generation, utilities can free up capacity on the grid, allowing more customers or distributed energy resources (DERs) to connect without the need for costly infrastructure upgrades. This not only increases the grid’s utilisation factor (ratio of the average load to the peak load or the installed capacity) but also accelerates the energy transition by integrating more renewables and electrified loads. In essence, digital tools help convey more electrons across the same wires, improving operational efficiency and contributing directly to the bottom line. Both Elektrilevi and PG&E are examples of this case.
In addition, digitalisation contributes to reducing technical losses, for example Enel achieved annual savings of 144 GWh—equivalent to the consumption of 50,000 households, or approximately €20 million per year—thanks to the implementation of Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS). This trend underscores a crucial insight: the grid is under growing stress, and the impact is increasingly visible at the customer level. Investing in smarter, more responsive infrastructure helps to reverse that decline today. Utilities that have modernised their systems are already seeing measurable gains in outage reduction, restoration speed, and operational efficiency. These improvements benefit the bottom line and strengthen the system’s capacity to adapt and recover, sustainably and at scale.
What should governments and energy stakeholders prioritise to scale resilient infrastructure globally?
Resilience demands a coordinated, systemic effort. But it doesn’t always require wholesale infrastructure replacement. In many cases, the most impactful steps involve digital retrofits, data-driven planning, and operational upgrades that build on what already exists.
A good example of this is Schneider Electric’s “stepwise” approach, where utilities like
Elektrilevi began with targeted pilots and scaled successful strategies incrementally. By virtualising substations, digitising medium-voltage equipment and adopting condition-based maintenance, operators can enhance visibility, safety and control, all while limiting capital expenditure.
Governments and regulators have a unique role to play in enabling these efforts, particularly by supporting interoperability standards, incentivising innovation in grid technology, and embedding resilience criteria in infrastructure planning. But beyond policy, it’s about mindset: shifting from reactive to proactive, and from static design to adaptive systems.
Resilience, at its core, is about readiness. As global climate patterns continue to evolve, the energy sector must be prepared to endure and adapt in real time. That’s what will define the grids of the future.
