ESF 12 - Energy

Owned by Wayne Martin
Apr 18, 2022
4 min read

Emergency Function Support Function (ESF) #12 Energy

 

Primary Agency

 

Emergency Management

 

Secondary/Support Agencies

 

State Corporation Commission

Virginia Energy

Harrisonburg Electrical Commission

Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative

Dominion Energy

Columbia Gas

Local Food Companies

 

Introduction

 

Purpose:

 

Describe procedures to restore the public utility systems critical to saving lives; protecting health, safety, and property, and to enable other ESFs to respond.

 

Scope:

 

Emergency Support Function #12 (Energy) will collect, evaluate, and share information on energy system damage. It will also estimate the impact of energy system outages within the affected area. According to the National Response Plan the term “energy” includes producing, refining, transporting, generating, transmitting, conserving, building, distributing, and maintaining energy systems. Additionally, ESF #12 will provide information concerning the energy restoration process such as projected schedules, percent of restoration completed, and other information as appropriate.

 

Policies:

 

All utility suppliers for the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County will work to provide fuel, power, and other essential resources to the locality

 

The City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County Departments of Emergency Management will work with utility providers to set priorities for allocating commodities.

 

The City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County personnel will stay up to date with procedures through education and training.

 

  • Restoration of normal operations at critical facilities will be a priority; and

  • The Coordinator of Emergency Management will maintain a list of critical facilities. Continuous monitoring will be done to identify vulnerabilities. The list can be found in the Emergency Management Office.

 

Concept of Operations

 

General:

 

The supply of electric power to customers may be cut off due to generation capacity shortages or transmission and distribution limitations. Generation capacity shortfalls are more likely to result from extreme hot weather conditions or disruptions to generation facilities. Other energy shortages, such as interruptions in the supply of natural gas or other petroleum products for transportation and industrial uses, may result from extreme weather, strikes, international embargoes, disruption of pipeline systems, or terrorism.

 

The suddenness and devastation of a catastrophic disaster or other significant event can sever key energy lifelines, constraining supply in impacted areas, or in areas with supply links to impacted areas, and can also affect transportation, communications, and other lifelines needed for public health and safety. There may be widespread and prolonged electric power failures. Without electric power, communications will be interrupted, traffic signals will not operate, and surface movement will become grid locked. Such outages may impact public health and safety services, and the movement of petroleum products for transportation and emergency power generation. Thus, a major, prolonged energy systems failure could be very costly and disruptive.

 

Organization:

 

In the wake of such a major disaster the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County EOC will be assisted by state-level assets to help in the emergency efforts to provide fuel and power and other essential resources as needed. The priorities for allocation of these assets will be to:

 

Provide for the health and safety of individuals and families affected by the event.

 

Provide sufficient fuel supplies to local agencies, emergency response organizations, and service stations in critical areas.

 

Help energy suppliers obtain information, equipment, specialized labor, fuel, and transportation to repair or restore energy systems.

 

Recommend/comply with the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and VDEM actions to conserve fuel, if needed.

 

Coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies in providing emergency energy information, education, and conservation guidance to the public.

 

Coordinate information with local, state, and federal officials and energy suppliers about available energy supply recovery assistance.

 

The City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County EOC will send requests to the Virginia EOC for fuel and power assistance as needed.

 

The private sector will be relied upon to manage independently until it can no longer do so, or until the health, safety, and welfare of citizens are at risk. The industries will be expected to establish their own emergency plans and procedures and to implement them through their own proprietary systems.

The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is the designated commodity manager for natural gas and electric power. The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) is the commodity manager for petroleum products and for solid fuels.

 

Following a catastrophic disaster, the Virginia EOC with staff support from SCC and DMME, will coordinate the provision of emergency power and fuel to affected jurisdictions to support immediate response operations. They will work closely with federal energy officials (ESF #12, Energy ), other Commonwealth support agencies, and energy suppliers and distributors. The City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County will identify the providers for each of their energy resources.

 

Actions:

 

Identify, quantify, and prioritize the minimum essential supply of fuel and resources required to ensure continued operation of critical facilities such as public utilities and schools.

 

Monitor the status of all essential resources to anticipate shortages.

 

Maintain liaison with fuel distributors and local utility representatives.

 

Implement local conservation measures.

 

In coordination with ESF #15, keep the public informed.

 

Implement procedures for determining need and for the distribution of aid.

 

Allocate available resources to assure maintenance of essential services.

 

Consider declaring a local emergency; and

 

Document expenses.

 

Responsibilities:

 

Review plans and procedures. Review procedures for providing lodging and care for displaced persons (see ESF #6).

 

In the event of a fuel shortage, establish procedures for fuel suppliers/distributors to serve customers referred to them by the EOC.

 

Keep the public informed and aware of the extent of the shortage, the need to conserve the resource in short supply, and the location and availability of emergency assistance.

 

 

Provide emergency assistance to individuals as required.

 

 

Enforce state and local government conservation programs; and

 

 

Identify and help coordinate resources needed to restore energy systems.