Equity Aware Load Shedding Mechanisms in Coupled Power and Gas Networks during Heatwaves

Abstract

Extreme heatwaves intensify the interdependencies between power and natural gas networks by driving simultaneous spikes in electricity demand for air conditioning and stressing gas-fired generation through higher ambient temperatures that reduce efficiency, while also constraining transmission line capacities and gas pipeline operations. In such conditions, when reserves are exhausted and demand response is insufficient, load shedding becomes a necessary last-resort measure to maintain system stability. Traditional load shedding prioritizes physical metrics such as minimizing total curtailed energy, reducing losses, or preserving frequency stability, often resulting in disproportionate burdens on socioeconomically vulnerable communities—low-income neighborhoods, urban heat islands, elderly populations, and medically dependent households—who suffer amplified health risks from prolonged outages, including heat related illnesses, medical device failures, and secondary hazards like carbon monoxide poisoning from alternative heating/cooling sources. Equity-aware mechanisms integrate social vulnerability indices (e.g., CDC Social Vulnerability Index components such as socioeconomic status, household composition, and minority status) into optimization frameworks, using indicators like a grid-adapted Gini coefficient to quantify and minimize disparities in outage exposure across load buses or zones. This research paper examines the coupled dynamics of power-gas networks under rising temperatures, formulates multi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear or linear programming models that co-optimize technical reliability with equity metrics in interdependent systems, incorporates temperature-dependent deratings for lines, generators, and gas compressors, and leverages flexibility from demand response, energy storage, and power-to-gas technologies. Case studies inspired by recent heatwave events and literature on interdependent networks demonstrate that equity-constrained shedding can substantially reduce well-being losses in vulnerable areas with modest increases in total curtailed energy or operational costs, while highlighting trade-offs, computational challenges, and policy pathways for implementation.  As climate-driven heat extremes escalate, equity-aware load shedding in coupled infrastructures emerges as essential for just resilience, preventing the exacerbation of energy poverty and health inequities during crises.⁠