PTI Local Government Energy Assurance Guidelines - Metropolitan ...

Include a Budget for the Plan Update
One local government maxim tends to be accurate: If it is important, it will usually have a budget. There is no
question that an EAP update will cost money. To an extent, it will be possible to estimate the labor and hours
required for the update based on the amount it took to develop the first EAP. Where possible and/or required, ensure
that the EAP update budget amount is included in the relevant department budget for the year in question. Without a
budget, new initiatives tend to lose traction or disappear entirely.
Research the Literature for Updated Energy Assurance Information
At the time of the EAP update, it is important to review all existing energy assurance information available through
DOE/OE. This office is responsible for local and State government energy assurance efforts, and OE staff should
have an excellent idea about where to find success stories and lessons learned from other cities and counties. PTI
also will have more case studies completed as local governments start to gain more experience with implementing
their EAPs. Energy assurance planning is a new process for most local governments at this time. With each passing
year, the field grows, and new information improves energy assurance efforts. It is clearly in a jurisdiction’s best
interest to exhaustively search for new information—especially energy supply, critical infrastructure, and asset
data—as part of the EAP update.
Update the Primary Contacts Section
One important reason to update the EAP is to ensure that its list of key energy assurance and energy emergency
contacts (see Section 3.7) is updated and accurate. Retiring employees, job changes, promotions, and normal job
attrition contribute to a rapidly changing key energy assurance contact list. Someone, such as the energy assurance
coordinator, will usually be responsible for keeping the list of primary contacts updated on a monthly or quarterly
basis, absent an EAP update. Regardless of this effort, it is a good practice to revisit the key energy assurance contact
list during the EAP update to ensure that the people, titles, and contact information are current. Quick response and
recovery depend on this list being accurate.
3.11.2 Update Energy Supply and Asset Data
Traditional relationships between energy suppliers and local governments are changing rapidly with the introduction
of smart grid technologies, sophisticated energy control systems and grid-independent generation options. Projecting
future energy demand and supply is not as simple as it used to be. As new technologies and practices are introduced,
these things will need to be reflected on both the supply and demand side of the energy assurance equation.
Energy supply and asset data should be revisited regularly by the energy assurance coordinator and/or a
subcommittee of the energy assurance working group. The local government will need to continuously add assets to
the EAP’s database/list of key assets and energy infrastructure as these important elements are constructed or added
to the local portfolio. As new buildings are constructed and put into operation, their criticality and vulnerability will
need to be assessed as part of the EAP. The same applies to local energy infrastructure. As major new transmission
lines and distribution centers, storage tanks, pipelines, and related assets are added to the local energy infrastructure,
each should be accounted for, to the extent possible, as part of the EAP effort. This requires vigilance and a longterm
commitment to energy assurance.
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