Energy Emergency Preparedness

Except for recent efforts to expedite the fill rate of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the United States is no better prepared to deal with a major oil disruption now than it was during the 1973 oil embargo, and almost all other energy emergency preparedness efforts are in various states of disarray. To be truly effective, contingency programs need to be fully developed, tested, and ready for quick implementation. The Department of Energy's (DOE) 1983 budget submission reduces or eliminates planning efforts in many areas in which GAO recommended the use of such planning. Given its current approach, the prospects for DOE developing a sound emergency preparedness program are slight. No comprehensive or even individual response plans in any contingency planning area have been completed since the GAO review in 1981. However, the activities planned for fiscal year 1982 will do little to improve preparedness. GAO is convinced that the Nation needs a balanced energy emergency program, one which judiciously blends primary reliance on private oil markets with Government programs. It is doubtful that energy emergency preparedness is receiving the priority that it deserves.