Defense Energy Resilience and the Role of State Public Utility Commissions

Abstract

Physical hazards such as extreme weather, and increasingly, sophisticated cyber threats, jeopardize safe, reliable operation of the power grid in the United States. More than 98 percent of military installations in the nation depend on the civilian power grid to execute military and national security missions around the world. For these installations, power outages can have devastating consequences. Public Utility Commissions are in a unique position to help bring stakeholders together and work to enhance resiliency of this defense critical energy infrastructure. This article examines issues related to defense energy resilience and explores opportunities for PUCs to develop relationships with the Department of Defense to encourage projects that will enhance national security and provide resilience benefits to communities outside the fence line. Effective state-specific examples are highlighted.