Resources to Assist States in Responding to Petroleum Shortages

NASEO has developed the following resources to assist states in responding to petroleum shortages.

NASEO Guidance for States on Petroleum Shortage Response Planning

The guide is designed to provide assistance to states as they update their energy assurance plans by responding to the needs identified by states and others for improved planning and mitigation in the petroleum sector. It also summarizes key guidance and serves as a companion to NASEO’s suite of energy assurance technical assistance offerings, energy emergency exercises, and coordination workshops. The first section of the guidance addresses the importance for states to be able to monitor petroleum markets, assess consequences when supply disruptions occur and the need to understand threats from all hazards, vulnerabilities, and interdependencies. The second section of the guidance provides information on a series of programs and measures which states can use to respond to specific conditions and problems that may occur during a petroleum supply disruption. (PDF Version - 2.3 MB)

Draft Templates from Guidance Document

The following programs are designed to respond to specific circumstances and conditions. They are listed in order of use from least to most severity of a petroleum supply disruption.

Waivers of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Driver Hours of Service)

• Draft Waiver of Select Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Waivers of Environmental Fuel Specifications

• Draft Waiver of Temporary Suspension of Fuel Specifications

Odd-Even Purchase Program

• Draft Executive Order for Odd-Even Purchase Plan

Petroleum Priorities for Essential Services Programs

• Draft Executive Order for Implementation of Priorities for Essential Services
• Draft Priority End-Use Certification Form
• Draft Emergency Rules Procedure and Appeals Process

State Petroleum Set-Aside Programs for Bulk Purchasers

• Draft Executive Order for Emergency Petroleum Set-Aside
• Draft Emergency Rules for State Petroleum Set-Aside Program
• Draft Application for State Set-Aside

Supporting NASEO Resources

Guidance for States on Relief from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations in an Energy Emergency
This report covers Federal Motor Carrier safety issues that can arise during energy emergencies, such as driver hours waivers. It includes a set of frequently asked questions, a draft executive order for adaptation by states, and suggested implementation steps and contains updated material to reflect regulatory changes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) as directed by the Reliable Home Heating Act which was signed into law on June 30, 2014. Under provision of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, enacted December 16, 2014, FMCSA has suspended the requirements regarding the restart of a driver’s 60- or 70-hour limit that  drivers were required to comply with beginning July 1, 2013. 

Strategies for States in Energy Assurance Planning: Regional Coordination and Communication
This paper provides states with strategies for working on a multi-state regional level to coordinate energy assurance planning, share information, and communicate effectively.

Energy Assurance Planning Framework
This framework provides an outline for detailing the specific information that might be included in a contingency program description which can be found under the level three detail which was largly used in the program samples provided in the petroleum guidance.

Past Petroleum Workshops

NEMA/NASEO Western States Petroleum Shortage Planning Workshop
April 30-May 1, 2019 - San Diego, CA
NASEO, in partnership with the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), and with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response hosted a Petroleum Shortage Response Planning Workshop for states in the Western region to explore how states might develop more comprehensive plans to respond to fuel shortages.

Viking Shadow Midwest Energy Assurance Workshop
July 30-31, 2018 - St. Paul, MN
NASEO, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), hosted the “Viking Shadow” Energy Assurance Workshop for the Midwest, Great Plains, and Rocky Mountain regions to improve states’ ability to identify gaps in current energy emergency plans as they relate to cybersecurity, fuel coordination, and multi-state coordination; examine state and federal government roles and responsibilities during energy emergencies; and encourage increased coordination between states and industry when responding to events.

NEMA / DOE / NASEO Petroleum Shortage Planning Workshop
February 21-22, 2018 - Atlanta, Georgia
NASEO, in partnership with the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), and with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) hosted a Petroleum Shortage Response Planning Workshop for states in the Southeast and South-Central regions to explore how states might develop more comprehensive plans to respond to fuel shortages.

Western Regional Emergency Fuel Coordination Meeting
September 28-30, 2016 - Sacramento, California
The California Energy Commission (CEC) and NASEO hosted an Emergency Fuel Coordination Meeting for Western states and industry partners  at the CEC offices to explore how states might develop more comprehensive plans to respond to fuel shortages and was intended to help set the stage for the creation of model plans that can be used by states in the Western region to update their energy assurance plans. 

Additional Resources

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Energy Primer: A Handbook of Energy Market Basics (November 2015). 

Lloyd’s of London and the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Risk Studies. Business Blackout Report Emerging Risk Report (May 2015). 

Michigan Public Service Commission. Report on August 14, 2003 Blackout (November 2003). 

National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Cybersecurity A Primer for State Utility Regulators Version 3.0 (January 2017).

National Petroleum Council. Enhancing Emergency Preparedness for Natural Disasters (December 2014). 

• Appendix G: Hydrocarbon Liquids Supply Chain
• Appendix H: Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids Supply Chains

U.S. Department of Energy. Emergency Situation Reports.

U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Waiver Library.

U.S. Department of Energy. Quadrennial Energy Review First Installment: Transforming U.S. Energy Infrastructures in a Time of Rapid Change (April 2015).

• Video summary available on DOE's YouTube channel.

U.S. Department of Energy. State and Regional Energy Risk Assessment Initiative. 

U.S. Department of Energy. United States Electricity Industry Primer (July 2015).  

U.S. Energy Information Administration. Energy Explained Your Guide to Understanding Energy. 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience.