Research Resilient by Design: Utility Strategies for Climate-Ready Distribution Systems Reviewed 17 utility resilience plans and five utility interviews to assess resilience planning trends and progress. Utilities are embedding long-term resilience into traditional system, capital, and operational planning efforts. Resilience planning is an ongoing, adaptive process that builds on lessons and changing conditions. Effective resilience planning must prioritize and engage the communities most impacted by disruptions. Scaling resilient solutions requires collaboration across utilities, regulators, and technology providers. Electric utilities face mounting challenges from electrification, climate resilience, and affordability concerns. U.S. investor-owned utilities’ capital expenditures have increased from $136.6 billion in 2021 to $167.8 billion, projected for 2023, with 36% of those capital expenditures allocated towards adaptation, hardening, and resilience, on average. Despite this, storm-related outages still cost the U.S. $64.8 billion annually, and a projected $500 billion gap remains in capital to fully harden generation, transmission, and distribution systems against climate threats through 2050. Building on this research, SEPA and Rhizome developed the Resilient by Design: Utility Series, featuring case studies that bring these findings to life. Explore how utilities are putting resilience into practice through the experiences of Hawaiian Electric Companies (HECO), Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC), Consumers Energy (Consumers), and Entergy New Orleans (ENO), each applying unique strategies to strengthen their grids against climate-driven risks. Utilities are evolving their distribution system planning (DSP) processes to include resilience, decarbonization, and affordability due to extreme weather threats to the grid. However, resilience is not yet fully integrated into many utilities’ DSP. Requirements vary across states, with some focusing only on wildfire mitigation plans. SEPA and Rhizome analyzed utility resilience plans, offering best practices and insights to help utilities better incorporate resilience and guide regulators in refining planning policies and frameworks. Authors and Contributors: Jared Leader, Senior Director, Resilience, Smart Electric Power Alliance Mishal Thadani, CEO and Co-founder, Rhizome Mac Keller, Manager, Resilience, Smart Electric Power Alliance Maddie Moyano, Consultant, Rhizome Solange Camacho, Analyst, Resilience, Smart Electric Power Alliance Eshaan Mani, Policy Analyst, Rhizome Resilient by Design: Utility Strategies for Climate-Ready Distribution Systems Name (Optional)This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.Name* First Last Email* Company*State (Optional)What state do you live in?AlabamaAlaskaAmerican SamoaArizonaArkansasArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces EuropeArmed Forces PacificCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaGuamHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthern Mariana IslandsOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUS Virgin IslandsUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingTitle* Sign me up to receive updates on ?