Subseasonal Forecasting’s Impact on the Energy Sector: How Far in Advance Can Forecasting of Extreme Weather be Skillful and Benefit Energy Companies?

Renewable energy companies can likely benefit from using subseasonal forecasts of extreme weather, according to a recent study which found that advances in forecasting allow these events to be generally forecast up to 2-4 weeks out. Recent examples in North America include the June 2021 Pacific Northwest/Southwest Canada heat wave and February 2021 Southern Plains cold spell, both which saw precursors in computer forecast models and teleconnection indices before most forecast providers began to forecast such extreme events. Can studying these long-term indicators allow for savings for energy companies and their customers?