The Importance of Energy Assurance Planning

This video provides various perspectives from federal, state and local officials on energy emergency planning, preparedness and response. It also examines the interdependencies of the nation's critical energy infrastructures.

The video was produced by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and Public Technology Institute (PTI) during the Southeast Regional Energy Assurance Exercise held in Raleigh, North Carolina in March 2011.

It was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

Energy assurance guarantees a robust, secure and reliable energy infrastructure that is also resilient — able to restore services rapidly in the event of any disaster. Our Nation's energy infrastructure is potentially vulnerable to a variety of hazards. Stretching across jurisdictions and States to national borders, this "system of systems" can be disrupted by severe weather events and other natural disasters, systems failures, and deliberate physical, cyber, or unconventional attacks. While the owners and operators are responsible for their energy systems in providing energy supplies, it is the responsibility of State and local officials to work with energy providers and stakeholders from other jurisdictions, government agencies, businesses, and related organizations, to ensure the wellbeing and progress of our communities.

NASEO provides direct technical assistance, education and outreach to support states' energy assurance planning, response, and smart grid resiliency efforts.  This effort is sponsored and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE). Assistance includes: briefing papers, research and analysis on state policies, regional conference calls, webcasts, one-on-one consultations, training opportunities, and energy assurance conferences on a regional and national level.  The NASEO Energy & Data Security Committee serves as the focal point of the program and committee members participate in planning and implementation activities aimed at facilitating peer exchange, offering expert input into state activities, and facilitating regional coordination. 

For more information on energy assurance planning and response or NASEO's energy assurance activities, please contact Jeffrey Pillon, NASEO Energy Assurance Director, phone: (517) 580-7626, email: jpillon@naseo.org.