| Resource Type | Tool fact sheet |
| Author / Source | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) |
| Publication Date | December 2025 |
| Location | United States |
| Initiative Type | Technology |
| Project Complexity | Advanced |
| Recommended For | Board, Staff |
Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Why This Matters for Rural Electric Co-ops
Co-ops plan and finance infrastructure over decades, but the extreme-weather risks those assets face are shifting, which makes long-term risk visibility valuable. ACCLIMATE, developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), projects how climate hazards will change in a utility's territory over time, scores which specific assets and components are likely to fail, and estimates the financial loss, so leaders can direct resilience spending toward where future risk is highest. For a co-op, this supports a shift from reactive storm response toward forward-looking, data-driven resilience and capital planning.
Key Takeaways
| › | ACCLIMATE projects how extreme-weather hazards will change over time in a utility's area and scores which assets and components are most likely to fail. |
| › | It pairs an asset-level Hardware Bill of Materials and fragility curves with powerflow modeling to estimate physical damage, monetary loss, and cross-infrastructure impacts. |
| › | Outputs are meant to guide resilience investment and capital prioritization, connecting long-term climate projections to specific asset decisions. |
| › | It is DOE CESER-funded and web-based, but the fact sheet names no formal co-op access program, so availability should be confirmed directly with INL. |
Implementation Considerations
- Regulatory or Governance Considerations: No published co-op access pathway exists. Interested co-ops would engage INL directly to assess availability, cost, and data requirements.
- Staffing or Technology Requirements: Requires a detailed, component-level asset inventory and staff able to interpret climate-risk output. If co-ops lack that in-house expertise, they may benefit from INL or partner support.
- Time-Sensitive Information: Per the December 2025 fact sheet, the tool is federally funded and still positioned around utility and planner use, so availability and funding could change. Confirm current status with INL.
Notable Examples
- Idaho National Laboratory: Developed ACCLIMATE.
Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
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