Well before an emergency or disaster event, IEM works with state, local, tribal, and territorial stakeholders to analyze existing energy assurance plans and state capabilities to pinpoint strong suits and identify areas for improvement. Since 1993, IEM has successfully supported over 680 exercise events, with more than 200 just in the past five years. Our energy team understands varying perspectives—fire rescue, EMS, law enforcement, emergency management, public safety and public health—ensuring concerns of all cross-sectors are met, if not exceeded. 

IEM’s energy security program applies a performance-based methodology that results in objective assessment of preparedness and provides specific recommendations for improvement through the development of a State Energy Security Plan (SESP) to deliver necessary changes in the state’s energy landscape, processes, risks, and the state’s strategy to build energy resilience. 

Even with adequate funding, jurisdictions may have limited personnel with the necessary experience or resources to properly plan, implement, and staff for disaster events. When a disaster strikes, existing staff may be overwhelmed working exhaustive activation shifts—IEM is here to help. 

Our team of emergency management leaders have provided robust dedicated mutual assistance processes to aid in emergency response and cybersecurity mutual assistance agreements to support crisis events impacting energy supply disruption. IEM has provided surge staffing to civilian and military EOCs and aided with deployments in response to hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, Sandy, Irma, Maria, Laura, Sally, and many more. 

Since 1985, IEM has helped our clients and partners reduce costs, increase efficiencies, improve decision making, and most importantly, resiliently rebuild. IEM helps states identify and explore all funding options and resources to enable a robust community recovery. IEM delivers planning, technical assistance, and program support to communities in the days, weeks, and months following a disaster. Just as importantly, we help public officials, planners, and community members implement a strong State Energy Security Plans (SESP) to foster a disaster-resilient and economically stable community for the future. Our team of FEMA Public Assistance program specialists, and long-term recovery professionals possess the knowledge and experience to support the SESP development. 

Now more than ever, communities need to ensure mitigation is implemented to better prepare for future vulnerabilities from physical and cybersecurity events that are becoming more prevalent. IEM stands ready to ensure you can maximize your SESP to ensure that the state has reliable, secure, and resilient energy infrastructure while ensuring compliance with requirements outlined by the Department of Energy in Section 40108 of the bipartisan Infrastructure Jobs Act (IIJA). 

• Development, implementation, review, and revision of a state energy security plans, to include 

• • Assessing existing plans and capabilities 
  • Proposing methods to strengthen the ability of the state, in consultation with owners and operators of energy infrastructure in the State to 

• • • secure the energy infrastructure of the State against all physical and cybersecurity threats; 
    • mitigate the risk of energy supply disruptions to the State;  
    • enhance the response to, and recovery from, energy disruptions; and 
    • ensure a reliable, secure, and resilient energy infrastructure 

• • Providing a state energy profile, including an assessment of energy production, transmission, distribution, and end-use 
  • Addressing potential hazards to each energy sector or system, including physical threats and vulnerabilities and cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities 
  • Providing a risk assessment of energy infrastructure and cross-sector interdependencies and risk mitigation approaches to enhance reliability and end-use resilience 

• Multi-state, regional, and tribal coordination, planning, and response to develop mutual assistance agreements for cyber and physical response plans 
• Stakeholder Engagement 
• Training and Exercises 
• After Action Reporting, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement