ESCC crucial link between government, electric power industry during COVID-19 crisis

While industries and government agencies have struggled to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) has now become the focal point of energy cooperation between private and public interests.

The council’s goal is to assure partners on all sides have the resources necessary to keep power flowing throughout the country. On the private end, this includes investor-owned electric companies, public power utilities, and electric cooperatives. They have also coordinated with organizations on the public and nonprofit side, like the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the North American Reliability Corporation.

“Electricity and the energy grid are indispensable to our society, and one of our greatest strengths as an industry is our ability to convene and adapt quickly to changing circumstances and challenging events,” Edison Electric Institute President Tom Kuhn said. “Our industry plans for all types of contingencies, and strong industry-government coordination and cross-sector collaboration are critical to our planning and response. We appreciate the ongoing leadership and support of our government partners as we all respond to COVID-19 and power through this crisis together.”

Twice a week, the ESCC holds calls with senior government leadership and has organized strategic working groups to identify and solve short, medium, and long-term issues currently facing the industry. Those issues include the continuity of operations and control centers and generation facilities, access to restricted or quarantined areas, protocols for mutual assistance, and supply chain challenges. The organization has also created a resource guide meant to keep the electric power industry informed on the evolving situation and effective decisions regarding it.

“The electric power industry has taken steps to prepare for the evolving coronavirus challenges while maintaining our commitment to the communities we serve,” National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson said. “We have a strong track record of preparing for many kinds of emergencies that could impact the ability to generate and deliver electricity. While planning for this situation is unique from other business continuity planning, we are taking actions to prepare to operate with a smaller workforce, potential disruptions in the supply chain, and limited support services for an extended period of time.”