On March 12, 2025, the Pacific Northwest Rail Fuel Summit brought together leaders from the rail and fuel industries, alongside representatives from state government, to strengthen regional coordination around disaster fuel operations. The summit focused on the role of rail in supporting fuel distribution following a Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) event. It was hosted by the Washington State Department of Commerce, Oregon Department of Emergency Management, and Idaho Office of Emergency Management.
Attendees included representatives from State Energy Offices, Emergency Management Agencies, and Departments of Transportation across the Pacific Northwest. The summit also engaged members of the 11 Western States Petroleum Collaborative, who explored how rail response strategies could inform state fuel plans and the broader Regional Response Framework, particularly when fuel supply and distribution disruptions extend across multiple states.
This summit built on the momentum of the Private Sector Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) held in September 2023, led by the Idaho Office of Emergency Management. While the ROC addressed a broader scope of private-sector involvement, the Rail Fuel Summit focused specifically on the intersection of the fuel and rail sectors.
Key takeaways from the summit included:
- Improving understanding of rail resources and capabilities to support fuel deliveries to the Pacific Northwest under disaster conditions post-Cascadia.
- Identifying coordination requirements and a fuel-rail-government coordination structure to be demonstrated in a future tabletop drill.
- Identifying potential rail routes and fuel-rail staging bases in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for further evaluation, including gaps and challenges in transferring fuel from railcars to tanker trucks.
- Prioritizing regulatory waivers essential to rail transport of refined fuels into the region post-Cascadia.
Summit sponsors will establish a Fuel, Rail, and Government Coordination Group to continue advancing regional collaboration and planning to integrate rail into Cascadia fuel strategies and to address key findings and recommendations in the Summit After Action Report (AAR). For questions or additional information about the Pacific Northwest Rail Fuel Summit, please contact Deanna Henry at deanna.henry@commerce.wa.gov.