In Washington, the State Energy Office began drafting the Washington State Energy Emergency Management Program Strategic Plan, which provides a strategy and a maturity model for the statewide Energy Assurance program. Building on lessons learned from the Enbridge Pipeline explosion in 2018, Washington focused on updating foundational documents, building support for a fuel plan and started work on a range of planning documents. The Washington Fuel Action Plan served as a primary focus. The Energy Office developed policies and procedures on how to effectively manage a State petroleum fuel shortage. Washington met regularly with stakeholders at the state and local level, convening meetings with local and regional stakeholders throughout the year. The effort led to better relationships and an understanding of the framework for distributing fuel, which includes three key policies:
• prioritization guidance for allocation and distribution of petroleum fuel,
• specific actions to implement during each stage of a fuel shortage, and
• the inclusion of the private sector, local jurisdictions, tribal nations, special purpose districts, federal agencies and neighboring states.
Washington also updated the Emergency Support Function 12 Standard Operating Guide, which was last updated in 2013. The report details how the state would coordinate with local, federal, tribal and private sector partners to restore Washington’s energy systems during an energy emergency. This work helped explain the SEO role when legislators and advocates asked about the state’s preparedness for the Public Power Supply shut offs experienced in California. The update is nearly complete and provides detailed actions for the response and restoration activities during an energy emergency or energy supply disruption.
Contact Information for the Washington Energy Office