Energy Emergency Contingency Planning

The centerpiece of the Department of Energy's (DOE) energy emergency preparedness effort was the Energy Emergency Planning Guide. This guide was merely a list of proposed measures that might be taken at the federal, state, or local level, and not all of these measures were feasible. Only a few of the proposed measures for federal or state actions were actually undertaken or completed, including those within DOE. One of the more successful pre-emergency measures was the establishment of the DOE Energy Emergency Center, an energy information and communication clearinghouse. Although many states had developed some contingency plans to meet their perceived need, most of these plans were not complete enough to send to DOE, so DOE officials could not assess their adequacy. The most impressive pre-emergency actions to minimize the effect of the impending coal strike were taken by the electric utility companies. On its own volition, the utilities stockpiled its coal inventories to record heights. The most effective DOE response came from two hastily formed ad hoc task forces to manage possible energy shortages. However, by concentrating on power supplies, DOE failed to monitor consumer costs adequately. Federal actions were a minor factor in the relatively successful management of the energy emergency. The two major factors were the foresight and planning of electric utilities, and the demonstrated willingness of the states to respond with minimal federal intervention. For reasons that are unclear, the federal government overestimated the impact of the coal strike on unemployment levels.