Higher summer temperatures projected for the Southwest will increase the demand for energy, especially during periods of peak load. Interactions between energy and water systems create additional vulnerabilities, including cascading impacts that affect public health and safety. A regional group of researchers and resource managers with expertise in water, energy, climate, natural hazards, and emergency management met on September 28-29, 2015, to address management of and preparedness for high-impact, low-probability events.
Importance: This project brought together managers and researchers across various disciplines to discuss a topic that has not typically been considered when planning for extreme events—planning for unlikely scenarios that have the potential for very large, cascading impacts.