During the 2016 Energy Policy Outlook Conference, David Terry, NASEO’s Executive Director, and U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASEO, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), National Governors Association (NGA), and National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) which renews and expands the Energy Emergency Assurance Coordinators (EEAC) Program.
The MOU, updates and expands upon the original agreement signed by NASEO and DOE on January 23, 1996, under which the EEAC Program was established. Over the last 20 years, information technology, communications, and data analysis have dramatically changed. In addition, the creation of state energy assurance plans has led to an evolution in the states’ roles and responsibilities as it relates to energy emergencies which emphasize intra-state coordination that can include various agencies within a state. For these reasons the agreement has been updated and expanded to include the NARUC, NGA, and NEMA who will support and encourage their members to participate in this effort on an ongoing basis.
The MOU builds on already strong cooperation between DOE and the states and will broaden energy emergency response coordination efforts in the future.