An agent-based model for the evidence-basec long term planning of power and water critical infrastructures

The comfort, mobility, and economic well-being of the U.S. population depends on reliable and affordable electric power services. Sustainable water supplies are required for operating conventional power plants and long-term planning across these sectors is not well coordinated. It is increasingly important to analyze the security, sustainability, and resilience of mid- and long-term electric utility and water system capacity expansion plans in an integrated fashion with respect to potential challenges posed by climate change and other risks to this critical infrastructure. We develop an agent-based model (ABM) of a typical regional power system that incorporates the features of specific plant types and their cooling systems that are dependent on abundant water supplies at appropriate temperatures and quantities to support full power operation. The effects of potential water restrictions and constraints to power plant cooling systems (cooling towers, cooling ponds, and once-through condensers) are analyzed to estimate the potential impact of climate change or water temperature restrictions on a particular long-term expansion plan.