Grid Security Emergency Orders: Procedures for Issuance

The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is issuing a final rule that establishes procedural regulations concerning the Secretary of Energy's issuance of an emergency order under the Federal Power Act. The statute authorizes the Secretary of Energy to order emergency measures, following a Presidential declaration of a grid security emergency, to protect or restore the reliability of critical electric infrastructure or defense critical electric infrastructure during the emergency. A grid security emergency could result from a physical attack, a cyber-attack using electronic communication, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), or a geomagnetic storm event, damaging certain electricity infrastructure assets and impairing the reliability of the Nation's power grid. The procedures established by this final rule will ensure the expeditious issuance of emergency orders under the Federal Power Act.