Climate change and related extreme weather events threaten the nation’s energy and other critical infrastructure systems. Sandia’s niche is in combining monitoring and modeling to enable decision-makers at various scales to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing climate, social, and security conditions. This work draws on foundational research capabilities in computing and information science; cyber technology; energy storage; high-reliability engineering; material sciences; modeling and simulation; safety, risk, and vulnerability assessment; and sensors and sensing systems.
Focal Areas
Enabling Advanced Nuclear Energy
The goals of Sandia’s Advanced Reactor Ecosystem Center of Excellence are to develop safety analysis and risk assessment methods, enable accident and consequence management strategies, ensure cyber and physical security, inform siting, develop disposal strategies, enable safe transportation, and address proliferation concerns associated with next generation nuclear energy.
Resilient Grid Infrastructure
Our nation requires a grid that adapts to both large-scale environmental and unnatural events and remains operational in the face of adversity—minimizing the catastrophic consequences that affect quality of life, economic activity, national security, and critical-infrastructure operations. Sandia is partnering with Kirtland Air Force Base and PNM to demonstrate at-scale a fully integrated solid state power station. We are also focused on demonstrating Sandia technology in a flexible fractal grid architecture, including optimization, controls, advanced protection, energy storage, models, and applications of AI/machine learning.
Critical Infrastructure Risk Assessment & Decision Support
Drawing on Sandia’s heritage in resilience, risk, and cross-sector modeling and analysis, we are building a new Infrastructure/Climate Risk and Decision Support (ICARUS) capability. ICARUS will integrate high-fidelity infrastructure models and build cross-sector risk frameworks for climate change. This work will enable data-based, risk-informed, holistic planning and investment in infrastructure adaptation.