美国的能源基础设施危机日甚

　　中国石化新闻网讯 据油价网2021年9月17日报道，尽管美国政府承诺改善基础设施，做好防灾准备，但政府和能源巨头却未能一次又一次地向遭受极端天气严重打击的地区提供备用能源供应。 由于这些事件影响变得越来越频繁和强大，能源行业将如何准备未来的能源供应?

　　关于能源基础设施恢复力的讨论年复一年，今年2月讨论在美国达到顶峰，当时德克萨斯州正与一场严重的冬季风暴作战，这场风暴导致电网关闭，数千栋建筑失去电力。 在长达一个星期的时间里，德州的许多人不得不依靠发电机来为他们的房子供暖，以躲避冰冻的温度。

　　在暴风雪过后，这个美国最大的石油州的相当大一部分能源生产被关闭，对今年春季剩余时间的能源产出水平产生了连锁反应。 由于输油管道冻结和关键基础设施电力短缺，石油产量被认为每天减少了大约120万桶。

　　但是，如果美国政府和大型石油公司很久以前就对其老化的基础设施进行投资，这一切都能避免吗? 今年早些时候，美国土木工程师协会给美国的能源基础设施打了C级评分，这表明有必要进行重大改进，以防止未来的减产和潜在的灾难。

　　政府一直将2万亿美元基础设施计划作为解决问题的答案。 除了修复数以万计的道路和桥梁，加强美国的交通联接，该计划还打算在8年的时间内改善美国各地的能源基础设施和供水管道。

　　今年8月，基础设施法案在参议院以微弱优势通过，预算增至3.5万亿美元。 除了更新传统的能源基础设施和交通连接，该法案还包括通过资助电动汽车、可再生能源和清洁能源计划来应对气候变化。

　　但随着该计划提交众议院表决，很明显，此项宏大计划必须经受住美国政治官僚主义的考验，才能付诸实施。 实际上，我们可能需要数年时间才能看到这项计划在美国能源基础设施方面带来任何有意义的进展。

　　这促使地方政府在能源供应方面制定自己的防灾策略。 在德克萨斯州，德克萨斯州铁路委员会的委员们9月批准了在能源紧急情况下对天然气基础设施进行关键指定的拟议规则。

　　德克萨斯州公用事业委员会(PUC)也在6月份发布了一份题为《再也不会》的报告，以回应2月份暴风雪后出现的能源故障。公用事业委员会呼吁德州几家能源机构共同努力，为发电厂“防冻”，并改善所有老化的能源基础设施，这些设施在恶劣天气条件下导致能源供应失败。 这一呼吁在美国其他遭遇恶劣天气现象的州也得到了复制，这些恶劣天气现象导致能源产量减少，并导致每年数百万美国人的能源供应不足。

　　但是，面临能源基础设施紧急情况的不仅仅是美国，据估计，加拿大的能源基础设施将需要大约1万亿美元的投资，以应对恶劣的天气条件。 位于温尼伯的国际可持续发展研究所(IISD)今年夏天发表的一份报告显示，加拿大大约三分之一的核心能源基础设施状况不佳，对气候变化的影响没有弹性。

　　该报告强调了气候变化对能源供应的影响，气候变化导致更频繁的恶劣天气事件。 老化的基础设施无法承受冬天的寒冷和夏天的热浪，在目前的状态下，根本不能指望它们为家庭提供至关重要的能源。 在美国、加拿大和世界上其他几个与热浪、冬季风暴、飓风和季风等天气事件作斗争的地区，面临的情况确实如此。

　　除了依靠多数政治支持和巨额资金的全国性基础设施加固计划外，专家们现在还提出了其他应对措施，以加强受气候影响最严重地区的能源供应。 提案包括“微型电网”，即能够独立于主电网运行的小型发电厂，在发生恶劣天气事件期间为家庭和企业提供能源。

　　为了克服日益恶化的天气事件对能源基础设施和能源供应的影响，有必要同时采用自上而下和自下而上的方法。 虽然重大的国家基础设施计划对确保一个国家未来的能源供应至关重要，但地方一级的行动也需要。 各个城市和州可以更好地了解当地地区不断变化的天气状况，并强调其能源基础设施面临的挑战，以便更好地为未来做好准备。 如果地方政府希望避免能源供应方面的灾难导致的死亡，就像去年在德克萨斯州和加利福尼亚州发生的那样，他们将不得不在研究和基础设施加固方面投入更多资金。

　　李峻 编译自 油价网

　　原文如下：

　　America's Infrastructure Crisis Is Growing Increasingly Dire

　　Despite promises of improved infrastructure and better disaster preparedness, governments and energy giants are failing to provide backup energy provisions to areas hit hard by extreme weather conditions again and again. As these events are becoming more frequent and stronger, how will the energy industry prepare for the future of energy provision?

　　The ongoing discussion over energy infrastructure resilience which is brought up year after year peaked in February in the U.S. as Texas battled against a severe winter storm that saw the electrical grid shut down and thousands of buildings lose power. Many across the state had to rely on generators to heat their houses to escape freezing temperatures for up to a week.

　　A significant proportion of energy production in the U.S.’s biggest oil state came to a halt following the storm, having a knock-on effect on energy output levels for the rest of the spring. Oil production is thought to have dropped by around 1.2 million bpd due to freezing pipelines and a lack of electricity to key infrastructure.

　　But could all of this be avoided had the U.S. government and big oil invested in its aging infrastructure long ago? Earlier this year, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave America’s energy infrastructure a C-rating score, suggesting the need for significant improvement to prevent future production cuts and potential disasters.

　　Since his inauguration, Government has pointed towards the $2 trillion infrastructure plan as the answer to the problem. As well as fixing tens of thousands of roads and bridges, enhancing the country’s transportation links, the plan also intends to improve energy infrastructure and water pipelines across the U.S. over a timescale of eight years.

　　In August, the budget for the infrastructure bill increased to $3.5 trillion as it narrowly passed in the Senate. As well as updating traditional energy infrastructure and transport links, the bill includes efforts to tackle climate change by funding electric vehicles, renewable power, and clean energy initiatives.

　　But as it goes to the House of Representatives, it is clear that the big plan will have to survive all the bureaucracy of U.S. politics before it can put into practice. Realistically, it could be years before we see any meaningful advances in U.S. energy infrastructure coming from this plan.

　　This has driven local powers to devise their own strategies for disaster preparedness when it comes to energy provision. In Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas commissioners approved proposed rules for critical designation of natural gas infrastructure during energy emergencies this month.

　　The Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas also published a report in June entitled Never Again in response to the energy failure seen following the February storm. PUC calls upon several Texan energy authorities to work together to ‘winterize’ power plants and improve all areas of aging energy infrastructure that lead to the failure in energy provision when hit by harsh weather conditions. This call has been replicated in other U.S. states confronted with severe weather phenomena that lead to a reduction in energy production and a lack of energy provision to millions of Americans every year.

　　But it is not only the U.S. that is confronting an energy infrastructure emergency, it is estimated that it will require around $1 trillion in investment to prepare Canada’s energy infrastructure to resist against severe weather conditions. The Winnipeg-based International Institute for Sustainable Development IISD published a report this summer that suggests around one-third of Canada’s core infrastructure is in poor condition and not resilient to the impacts of climate change.

　　The report highlights the impact that climate change, leading to severe weather events on a more regular basis, is having on energy provision. Aging infrastructure, not made to withstand freezing winters and summer heatwaves can simply not be relied upon to deliver vital energy to households in its current state. This is true in the U.S., Canada and several other parts of the world battling weather events such as heatwaves, winter storms, hurricanes, and monsoons.

　　As well as major countrywide infrastructure reinforcement plans, relying on majority political support and major funding, experts are now suggesting alternative responses to strengthen energy provision across the most affected areas. Proposals include ‘microgrids’, smaller power plants that would be able to operate independently of the main grid to provide energy to households and businesses during a weather event.

　　To conquer the effect of worsening weather events on energy infrastructure and provision, it is necessary to enlist both a top-down and bottom-up approach. While major national infrastructure plans are vital for securing the future of a country’s energy provision, local-level action is also needed. Individual cities and states can better understand the changing weather conditions in the local area and highlight the challenges to their energy infrastructure to better prepare for the future. Local governments will have to dedicate investment in studies and infrastructure reinforcement if they hope to avoid disasters in energy provision leading to deaths, such as those seen over the last year in Texas and California.