  Decisions related to electric power systems planning and operations rely on
assumptions and insights informed by historic weather data and records of past
performance. Evolving climate trends are, however, changing the energy use
patterns and operating conditions of grid assets, thus altering the nature and
severity of risks the system faces. Because grid assets remain in operation for
decades, planning for evolving risks will require incorporating climate
projections into grid infrastructure planning processes. The current work
traces a pathway for climate-aware decision-making in the electricity sector.
We evaluate the suitability of using existing climate models and data for
electricity planning and discuss their limitations. We review the interactions
between grid infrastructure and climate by synthesizing what is known about how
changing environmental operating conditions would impact infrastructure
utilization, constraints, and performance. We contextualize our findings by
presenting a case study of California, examining if and where climate data can
be integrated into infrastructure planning processes. The core contribution of
the work is a series of nine recommendations detailing advancements in climate
projections, grid modeling architecture, and disaster preparedness that would
be needed to ensure that infrastructure planning decisions are robust to
uncertainty and risks associated with evolving climate conditions.
