A Review of the Effect of Ice Storms on the Power Industry

The relationship between ice storms (glaze) and their impact on the utility industry is examined. An investigation of the climatology of ice storms resulted in an assessment of the cost of ice damage to utilities and a determination of the number of utility customers affected by the major storms in the midwest and northeast regions of the country. An extreme icing episode which occurred in 1976 in Wisconsin is examined and specific cost damage is developed. Probabilities of occurrence of ice storms of particular thickness in a given area and time period are reported. It is suggested that a standardized classification scheme for identifying relationships between ice storm characteristics be developed. Such a scheme would allow more concise assessment of the impact of ice storms on the utility industry and assist in establishing cost to benefit relationships for storm-related cost preventive measures.