PTI Local Government Energy Assurance Guidelines - Metropolitan ...

3.2.1 Designate an Energy Assurance Coordinator
The first step many local governments take toward developing and eventually implementing an EAP is the selection
of an official energy assurance coordinator (the coordinator). The coordinator is responsible for building consensus
around the EAP, and is usually the EAP’s primary architect and internal and external champion. While it is not
essential, it is often helpful if the coordinator has an emergency management or energy background and some
familiarity with relations between local government and DOE, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
and local or State emergency management agencies. Since many energy assurance planning teams can be comprised
of department heads, it is also helpful if the coordinator has a direct line of communication to local government
senior managers early in the EAP development process, and local political officials later in the planning process.
External political support for the EAP is usually not needed until later in the planning process and political officials
can be useful allies at this time.
The coordinator often is described informally as the “hub” around which most energy assurance information flows.
Most coordinators are public sector officials; some local governments utilized funds provided by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act to hire coordinators from the private sector. For example, the City of Raleigh,
North Carolina, hired its coordinator, now a city employee, from a contractor in the emergency management industry.
If hiring from the outside, consider employing a coordinator on a long-term (one to two year) contract if possible,
as most EAPs are designed and implemented over multiple years. A short-term coordinator contract may not be as
effective, since the loss of the coordinator could stall or stop the EAP development process. If the coordinator is
hired on a short-term basis, try to line up at least one other person who can quickly assume planning responsibilities
if the coordinator leaves the position. This personnel redundancy is an important component of the EAP efforts.
Since the coordinator is often charged with briefing people about a relatively new topic or concept (like energy
assurance) excellent communication and public speaking skills are recommended. It is not uncommon for the
coordinator to lead meetings where a variety of department directors are present. Therefore, the coordinator’s ability
to explain, engage and motivate, and in some cases inspire local government officials is critically important to the
overall success of the EAP.
The EAP will be most effective if the coordinator is able to build strong relationships with local energy suppliers and
other critical infrastructure operators. The coordinator will need to enlist diverse stakeholders to advance the EAP,
and will be charged with understanding and assimilating often complex technical issues. For that reason, finding a
person with excellent organizational, technical, and interpersonal skills is recommended.
Where possible, it is recommended that the coordinator have local government experience. A coordinator who
understands the way a particular local government works is more likely to be successful with the EAP because
typically, he or she will negotiate the government landscape more easily, effectively, and efficiently. The checks
and balances built into the local government decision-making process are there for a reason, and implementing
something new can be a slow, frustrating process to someone from the private sector. An EAP is more likely to gain
traction quickly if championed by a government employee.
An outside perspective can also be valuable. Hiring a brand new or relatively new government employee as the
coordinator may offer a new energy and a fresh look at energy assurance. A new hire from the external world may
also bring a different, valuable perspective or energy assurance expertise to the EAP. Regardless of where the
coordinator comes from, planners will want someone who can marshal resources, is organized, and can devote
considerable time to the creation and execution of the EAP.
30 | 3 – How to Develop or Enhance a Local Energy Assurance Plan