Readout of US Energy Secretary Granholm & Deputy Secretary Turk’s Conversation with Electricity Sector Leaders About Hurricane Helene Response

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — On October 4, 2024, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm and Deputy Secretary David M. Turk joined electricity sector leaders to discuss the ongoing response and recovery effort to Hurricane Helene, which caused devastating impacts to communities across the Southeast and Appalachia. The leadership of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council and Energy Government Coordinating Council have been meeting regularly since September 25^th, before the storm made landfall, to align industry preparedness, response and restoration efforts, and facilitate coordination with Federal government partners.

On the call, Secretary Granholm thanked utility leaders for their continued commitment to response efforts and expressed gratitude for the hard work and perseverance of the utility crews working around the clock to restore power in often dangerous and difficult terrain. The extent of damage from Helene required a massive restoration effort that has drawn resources from across the country. At least 50,000 utility personnel from 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada are assisting in hurricane response. To date, crews have helped restore power to more than 4 million customers from the storm’s peak.

Throughout the last week, President Biden and Vice President Harris have repeatedly called on Federal departments and agencies to do everything possible to assist communities affected by Hurricane Helene, and the President reaffirmed the Federal government’s commitment to the region following a visit to several of the affected states. DOE will provide continued support to Federal, State, local responders and electricity sector partners throughout the damage assessment and customer restoration process. In the regions hit hardest by Hurricane Helene, DOE is committed to supporting these most impacted areas as they transition to community rebuild and long-term recovery.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene only underscores the growing threat of severe weather events and the importance of energy resilience. DOE will continue to be collaborative partners and leverage available resources to support the preparation and response to all threats and hazards to the energy sector. This includes preparing for Hurricane Milton as it strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico.

Departmental preparedness and response efforts are being coordinated by DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), which leads the agency’s response to disruptions within the energy sector and is designated as the lead for Emergency Support Function #12 (ESF #12) under FEMA’s National Response Framework. CESER is posting daily situation reports on DOE’s Hurricane Hub with the latest updates on restoration efforts.