DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability (OE) is committed to working with our interagency (including NASA, DHS, DOD, ODNI, and USGS) and industry partners to advance science on impacts, protection strategies, and mitigation solutions to the numerous threats and hazards that may severely impact the Nation’s critical energy infrastructure. These efforts have addressed natural disasters, cyber and physical attacks, geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs), and electromagnetic pulses (EMPs).
Today, I am pleased to announce the next step we have taken to further our understanding and management of risks associated with electromagnetic pulses with the release of the DOE Electromagnetic Pulse Resilience Action Plan (DOE Action Plan).
EMPs can be caused by a high-altitude detonation of a nuclear device. This type of high-impact, low frequency event has the potential to destabilize the nation’s power grid and damage equipment. While the likelihood is low, DOE takes an all-hazards approach and is dedicated to understanding the risks while working with our government and industry partners to develop cost-effective strategies to mitigate, respond to, and recover from potential disruptions. As such, we have engaged in a series of activities:
- Ongoing Research
- DOE continues to collaborate with DHS to advance the understanding of EMP effects on electricity through research at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
- DOE funds Idaho National Laboratory to apply our current understanding to develop potential EMP strategies, protections, and mitigations for the electric grid. A study was released in January 2016 on this topic and can be found here.
- The Department is analyzing the vulnerability of the power grid to an EMP event and the potential impact on reliability and delivery of electric power. The analysis will examine resilience options such as hardening, stockpiles, and planning.
- Joint Strategy
- In July 2016, we released a Joint Electromagnetic Pulse Resilience Strategy (Joint Strategy) in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The Joint Strategy enhances coordination and shapes future efforts to help meet the growing demands for EMP guidance.
With the release of the DOE Action Plan, we are outlining potential next steps, subject to available funding, to implement the Joint Strategy. The 19 action items in the DOE Action Plan are aligned to the five goals of the Joint Strategy: 1) improve and share understanding of EMP threats, effects, and impacts; 2) identify priority infrastructure; 3) test and promote mitigation and protection approaches; 4) enhance response and recovery capabilities to an EMP attack and; 5) share best practices across government and industry, nationally and internationally.
The DOE Action Plan was developed with input from interagency partners, the DOE National Laboratories, and the electric utility industry, in part through a one-day session with more than 50 EMP experts and electric power industry representatives to identify, discuss, and prioritize the action items outlined in the document. This collaborative approach will ensure that DOE remains focused on potential actions it can take to address the EMP threat, while remaining coordinated with interagency and industry partners over the next five years.
DOE is committed to ensuring a resilient, reliable, and secure electric grid in an increasingly challenging environment.
Patricia A. Hoffman
Acting Assistant Secretary, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity
Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity (OE) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Ms. Patricia A. Hoffman also served as Acting Under Secretary for Science and Energy from January 2017 until November 2017 when the U.S. Senate confirmed Mark Menezes as Under Secretary of Energy. Ms. Hoffman served as Acting Assistant Secretary for OE from January 2017 until October 2017 when the OE Assistant Secretary was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Ms. Hoffman was named Assistant Secretary for OE from June 2010 to January 2017, after serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary since November 2007. The focus of her responsibility was to provide leadership on a national level to modernize the electric grid, enhance the security and reliability of the energy infrastructure and facilitate recovery from disruptions to the energy supply both domestically and internationally. This is critical to meeting the Nation’s growing demand for reliable electricity by overcoming the challenges of our Nation’s aging electricity transmission and distribution system and addressing the vulnerabilities in our energy supply chain.
Prior to her this position, Ms. Hoffman served in a dual capacity as Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Research and Development (R&D) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) within OE. During her tenure as the DAS for R&D, she developed the long-term research strategy and improved the management portfolio of research programs for modernizing and improving the resiliency of the electric grid. This included developing and implementing sensors and operational tools for wide-area monitoring, energy storage research and demonstration, and the development of advanced conductors to increase the capacity and flexibility of the grid. She also initiated a new research effort focused on integrating and distributing renewable energy through the electric grid, such as promoting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and implementing smart grid technologies to maintain system reliability. As COO, she managed the OE business operations, including human resources, budget development, financial execution, and performance management.
Prior to joining OE, she was the Program Manager for the Federal Energy Management Program within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at DOE. This program guides the Federal government to “lead by example” promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy, and smart energy management. Complementing her building energy efficiency experience, she also was the Program Manager for the Distributed Energy Program, which conducted research on advanced natural gas power generation and combined heat and power systems. Her accomplishments included the successful completion of the Advanced Turbine System program resulting in a high-efficiency industrial gas turbine power generation product.
Ms. Hoffman holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Ceramic Science and Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.