Devise solid plans of action to deal with energy shocks

Here are some talking points to help get you started.

Sudden gas/diesel shortages

• Plan for gas lines and have a plan to implement
• Plan for hoarding and top-off problems -- a run on the pumps. (Vehicles fuel tanks average half-full. A run on suppliers makes everyone “full”.) The supply infrastructure can’t meet that demand and the system will likely collapse.
• Plan for emergency service vehicle fuel supplies (police/fire/EMS/ambulances)
• Plan for rationing and enforcement
• Plan for sudden shortages of food supplies (there is only a 3-day supply of fresh food in our cities.)
• Have a backup plans to mitigate risks during agriculture planting or harvesting seasons
• Plan for handling civil unrest due to energy or food shortages
• Plan for alternative or backup energy supplies to maintain city services (water/sewage/garbage)
• Consider alternate emergency transportation solutions for residents to/from work/school/grocery store/healthcare

Natural gas shortages

• Home and business heating, hot water, electricity generation, and cooking all depend upon continued energy supply. Have alternate source plans.
• Create an advance warning system for potential energy chocks – the longer the warning the better. Work with utilities and fuel supply companies.
• Stock emergency CNG supplies for transportation
• Work with utilities to understand the consequences of a domestic natural gas system pressure collapse, how to protect the citizens, and how to safely re-prime the systems when gas is available again.

Electricity generation and supply alternatives

• The LNG pipeline development across Washington County should potentially come with contractual guarantees of local access to a percentage of that gas during shortages or emergencies from other local suppliers
• Our electricity grid serves a very large, broad area, serving multiple states. Local, distributed electricity generation should be implemented to mitigate this risk, and to take the system “local” if possible during grid failures.
• Plan for consistent capacity to keep energy availalbe to hospitals, especially emergency rooms and intensive care units. (Remember that hospital backup generators require liquid fuels to run.)