width="100%" bgcolor=white>
Emergency Support Function #12 Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan
Emergency Support Function #12


September 2007
ESF #12 Energy
ESF 12 -
1

COVEOP


Emergency Support Function No. 12
ENERGY



Primary Agency:

State Corporation Commission


VERT ESF Branch:

Infrastructure Support Branch


Support Agencies:


Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy

Virginia Department of Emergency
Management

Virginia Information Technologies Agency

Dominion Virginia Power Company

Virginia Electric Cooperatives

______________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Purpose

Emergency Support Function (ESF) #12
Energy is intended to promote restoration of
damaged energy systems and components during
a potential or actual incident. ESF #12 is an
integral part of the larger role of the State
Corporation Commission (SCC) that has the
responsibility of maintaining continuous and
reliable energy supplies throughout the
Commonwealth of Virginia through preventive
measures as well as restorative actions.

Scope

ESF #12 collects, evaluates, and shares
information on energy system damage and
estimations on the impact of energy system
outages within affected areas. The term energy
includes producing, refining, transporting,
generating, transmitting, conserving, building,
distributing, and maintaining energy systems
and system components. Additionally, ESF #12
provides information concerning the energy
restoration process such as projected schedules,
percent completion of restoration, geographic
information on the restoration, and other
information as appropriate.


The energy industry and this ESF have four
sectors: natural gas, electric power, petroleum
fuels and solid fuels (coal). The emergency
plans for each energy sector are included in this
annex.

Mission

The mission of ESF #12 is to detail the duties
and responsibilities of Commonwealth agencies
and outline the concept of operations to be used
in responding to an energy emergency such as
an extended power outage or gasoline shortage.

The primary responsibilities of the nominated
agencies and departments of the Commonwealth
in such an event are:

A.

To coordinate with local government and
relief organizations to assist individuals and
families whose health and safety are
threatened by the event;

B.

To direct and control state-level emergency
operations on behalf of the Governor; and

C.

To keep the public informed about the on-
going situation. The private sector's primary
responsibility is to repair damage and
reestablish commercial and industrial energy
systems as soon as possible.


Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan
Emergency Support Function #12


September 2007
ESF #12 Energy
ESF 12 -
2

COVEOP



Organization

A. 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.

B. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is
the designated commodity manager for
natural gas; see the plan at Attachment

1. The SCC is also the commodity
manager for electric power; see
Attachment

2. The Department of Mines, Minerals, and
Energy (DMME) is the commodity
manager for petroleum products and for
solid fuels. In the event of a potential or
actual shortage situation, the SCC and
DMME will, as requested by the
Governor and in coordination with the
State EOC, implement voluntary
conservation measures as appropriate.

C. Later, if the situation worsens and a "state of
emergency" is declared, mandatory
conservation measures may be required. The
SCC and DMME will then provide technical
assistance and staff support to the VEOC as
requested.

D. Following a catastrophic disaster, the
VEOC, 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, other
Commonwealth support agencies, and
energy suppliers and distributors.






Policies


Restoration of normal operations at energy
facilities is the responsibility of the facility
owners.


ESF #12 maintains lists of energy-centric
critical assets and infrastructures, and
continuously monitors those resources to
identify and correct vulnerabilities to energy
facilities.


ESF #12 addresses significant disruptions in
energy supplies for any reason, whether
caused by physical disruption of energy
transmission and distribution systems,
unexpected operational failure of such
systems, or unusual economic or political
events.


ESF #12 addresses the impact that damage
to an energy system in one geographic
region may have on energy supplies,
systems, and components in other regions
relying on the same system. Consequently,
energy supply and transportation problems
can be intrastate, interstate, and
international.

____________________________________

Concept of Operations

General:

While restoration of normal operations at energy
facilities is the primary responsibility of the
owners of those facilities, ESF #12 provides the
appropriate supplemental assistance and
resources to enable restoration in a timely
manner.

Collectively, the primary and support agencies
that comprise ESF #12:


Serve as the focal point within the
Commonwealth for receipt of information
on actual or potential damage to energy
supply and distribution systems and Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan
Emergency Support Function #12


September 2007
ESF #12 Energy
ESF 12 -
3

COVEOP


requirements for system design and
operations, and on procedures for
preparedness, prevention, recovery, and
restoration;


Advise state and local authorities on
priorities for energy restoration, assistance,
and supply;


Assist industry and local authorities with
requests for emergency response actions as
they pertain to energy supplies;


Assist state and local agencies by locating
fuel for transportation, communications, and
emergency operations;


Recommend actions to conserve fuel and
electric power; and


Provide energy supply information and
guidance on the conservation and efficient
use of energy to state agencies, local
governments and to the public.


Specific:

A. The supply of electric power to customers
may be cut off due to either generation
capacity shortages and/or
transmission/distribution limitations. In
recent years, there have been several severe
ice storms resulting in downed power lines
and widespread and extended power
outages. Generation capacity shortfalls are
more likely to result from extreme hot
weather conditions or disruptions to
generation facilities.

B. 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.

C. 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