Editor’s Note: This was originally posted on August 26, 2011 by
Patricia Hoffman, Assistant Secretary, Department of Energy. She
talks about the Department of Energy’s role in supporting state
and local response and recovery efforts after disasters, such as
Hurricane Irene, affect energy infrastructure. The Energy
Department is closely monitoring Hurricane Irene as it travels
up the U.S. coast. Upon declared emergencies, the Energy
Department serves as the energy focal point for response and
restoration efforts, monitoring energy infrastructure and
coordinating response across the federal community, state and
local governments, and industry. Department emergency responders
are now staffing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s
(FEMA) National Response Coordination Center in Washington, DC
as well as FEMA’s Regional Response Coordination Centers in
Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta. An emergency
responder is also deployed to Puerto Rico as part of an Incident
Management Assistance Team on the isla