Transcripts For CSPAN2 Hurricane Infrastructure Recovery Go

The subcommittee on energy will now come to order and the chair will recognize himself or an opening statement. This years atlantic Hurricane Season was unprecedented. More named storms in close succession slammed the gulf and the u. S. Virgin islands. These hurricanes caused catastrophic damage in Energy Supply disruptions across the country. Both texas and florida are further down the road to recovery in the humanitarian crisis is unfolding in puerto rico. A number of colleagues from this committee have been down there and the u. S. Virgin islands where the majority of folks still remain without power for more than a month after Hurricane Maria made landfall. Todays hearing will review the response in Energy Recovery efforts in the wake of the storms that will help us begin to understand what went right and what went wrong. What lessons can be learned and how we as a risk and identify gaps so when the next hurricane hits we will be better prepared. As a result of Hurricane Harvey more than 275,000 customers lost power in texas and severe flooding affected supplies and fuel. Compounding the response to challenges in Energy Impacts across the gulf. Hurricane irma left more than 1 million customers without power across puerto rico and the Virgin Islands at more than 6 million customers in florida and another million in georgia and South Carolina also lost power. Two weeks after irma Hurricane Maria delivered the knockout punch wiping out the entire grid of puerto rico and the Virgin Islands and pete more than 3. 5 million folks were without power. As with most disasters energy frustration is performed by vital resources infrastructure support and logistical coordination and by industry which provides the expertise and manpower to restore Energy Supply and services. As we witnessed nightly in the news recovery on the islands is a pain way difficult and slow. The questions are mounting regarding the role of Puerto Rico Power Authority and its initial reluctance to requests mutual aid from mainland Electricity Companies who are standing by ready to assist immediately after the story. Rather than requests mutual assistance as texas and florida did the preceding storms took the unusual step to award the contract to a virtually unknown company which had been canceled. That is now the subject of an investigation by this committee, as it should he. Today we are going to hear from two with his panels will provide perspective from the federal level the state level and industry responder level. As we have seen in recent weeks across the areas affected by the storm each disaster creates its own set of problems. Todays witnesses can help us understand the factors that contribute to these problems and what we can do to ensure a more Effective Response Going Forward forward. It will help us understand the challenges we face in the aftermath of devastating storms and while we have seen devastation we have also seen some aspects of the response go right. At this point the department of Energy Support function is gone well. Deal is cordish in a predatory for waivers during the disaster has gone well. Assistance has been consistent and helpful to government and the industry alike. We will hear this morning that the Strategic Petroleum reserve which after harvey provided petroleum swaps to make up for the loss of supply and keeping prices at the pump somewhat stable. We will also receive an important update on the restoration efforts to bring power back to the folks in puerto rico and the Virgin Islands. Will be particularly helpful to understand what had been barriers to a more rapid recovery and learning to coordination of Emergency Response and restoration on these territories and what is needed from us in congress. How can we apply a Going Forward in this hearing should help answer those critical questions may yield not to the Ranking Member the subcommittee my friend the gentleman from illinois mr. Rush. I want to thank you mr. Chairman for holding this important hearing examining the 2017 2000 team rather Emergency Response and Recovery Efforts surrounding these emergencies. Mr. Chairman there are many Critical Issues that must be addressed. While i appreciate having witnesses and the gao report that we requested as we speak there are many millions of american citizens living without electricity and many are facing dire conditions for over a month now as Hurricane Harvey and irma have shattered their lives and devastated their livelihoods. Mr. Chairman it is my hope that this hearing will shed light on additional steps need to be taken quickly to restore power while also assuring those residents in puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands specifically that their government has not forgotten about them and that we will provide the same, the exact same attention to helping them as we will for any other american citizen. Mr. Chairman as you know more than six weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall nearly 70 of puerto rico and 80 of the u. S. Virgin islands the power needed for basic everyday services. Drinking water preserving food and medicine or making emergency calls or other critical functions that are necessary for normal daily activities. Providing essential resources for the safety of individuals. Over the longterm we must help to rebuild the Energy Infrastructure in a way that makes us stronger and more resilient against extreme weather conditions. Mr. Chairman hurricanes irma and maria and the puerto rican u. S. Virgin islands. While some communities expect to remain without power for months on end. Last week it resulted in 1. 250 yen dollars for supply disruption to a hospital in puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands. Mr. Chairman we can find no event in u. S. Recorded history where as many people were without power as long as has occurred over the past month import of rico in the u. S. Virgin islands. Mr. Chairman i look forward to engaging with todays distinguished panel on the progress that has been made. And the additional steps that must be taken to get the power on and for more resilient and sustainable infrastructure. Thank you mr. Chairman i i yield back. He met the chernow calls upon the chairman of the full committee mr. Walden for five minutes. I thank the gentleman had acknowledged his uniform. 2017 Hurricane Season has been among the worst in recent memory. While fuel supplies and electricity were restored on the mainland the humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands and i think you will hear that from both sides of the aisle. This is a real serious situation that we all care deeply about. Its not uncommon to see stories in the news about heroics and personal sacrifice. We trusted our policymakers to put aside their differences to do whats in the best interest of the country. We have already passed supplemental Disaster Relief funding in this congress but we understand much more is needed and we will continue to work with the administration and our colleagues so that our fellow citizens can get the Additional Resources they need to recover and to rebuild. This committee we rolled up our sleeves and search for solutions to the various challenges that present themselves after a major disaster. Want to make sure the agency under our jurisdiction are wellprepared and are responding a properly both now and what we learned from those censuses and are better prepared for the next storm or disaster. If you are lacking certain authorities let us know. If you want to we want to know about these things so we can help fix them. They want to be practical. How can we help ensure the federal response is well coordinated with state and local industry responders . How do we ensure decisions are made to guarantee taxpayer Funding Provides a maximum benefit for those in need and that the taxpayers are rep. . If we need to rebuild what we do to make our verb structure more resilient . Emergency telecommunications supply and delivery of energy. We will be gathering facts perspectives and Lessons Learned that we have heard witnesses on the subcommittee about Public Health preparedness for and response to the hurricane. Wilson examined Disaster Response related to environmental hazards and telecommunications as well but today we are focusing on Emergency Response and Energy Infrastructure recovery both for fuel supplied and electric grid. This year we have been confronted with several challenges and situations historic flooding in houston possibly the greatest evacuation in floridas History Energy crisis in puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands that could leave millions without power for an estimated time to come. We may take for granted how lucky we are that we can flip a switch and the lights come on peter citizens in puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands almost every aspect of their lives are deeply disrupted. Hospitals without external generators cannot serve their patients. Getting that power restored his critical. Water Treatment Plants without power and those who live in remote areas that do not have access to fuel are cut off from the most basic of necessities. With the Witness Panel will provide porton information. I expect this will be an excellent hearing for us to identify vulnerability is and assess what is needed to better prepare and respond to future storms and disasters and with that i want to thank you for being here today. I appreciate the testimony that you have submitted. Thanks for the good work you and your teams are doing out there. We want to learn with you and be better prepared when the next disaster hits. Without mr. Chairman unless anybody else on our side seeks remaining minutes. I would ask question of the vice chair of the committee. Are you intending to wear the jersey on the house floor and the full house this afternoon . I tried to wear this three weeks ago and i was banned. We will always be able to find you forever. Mr. Chairman i yield back the balance of my time. The gentleman yields back and i recognize the Ranking Member. See b thank you mr. Chairman for convening todays hearing on the 2017 Hurricane Season and im grateful for mr. From the Virgin Islands but im disappointed that the committee did not receive a response to the outreach to the prop up. And how prep has managed to ackerley mismanage the grid in puerto rico over the years. Today we are focusing on Energy Infrastructure Recovery Efforts and i must say the areas affected by the storms painted dire situation that completely contradicts the stories that come from the white house for the truth is taken to gather puerto rico and the Virgin Islands are currently experiencing the largest blackouts in American History and its a nightmare for fellow citizens that is far from over. The central question should the why is it taking so long to restore power in puerto rico and the Virgin Islands . Who is in charge of the efforts to restore power to puerto rico . No one seems to be in charge and its chaotic and ineffective effort to restore power on the island. I want answers and so do many my colleagues on both sides avail. The maze of contracts with overlapping missions a patchwork of failings to turn the lights back on in puerto rico and that needs to change now. Im deeply concerned by the terms of the contract with white fish and cocrack position which went so far as to bar completion of grid repair work. We need to learn more about how these contracts are being awarded and whether the bidding process is competitive and thats why chairman walden upton and Ranking Members rush request documents in a briefing from white fish so we can learn more about how that troubling agreement materialize. Additionally fema issued a statement that had no involvement in the development of his contract and my question is why not . The federal government should being gauged in the contracting process of largescale building contracts for which the taxpayers will foot the bill. The government needs to expedite power its efforts. Simply put the Trump Administration needs to be doing more to do but cant get the power turned back on soon more people are going to die. This is a humanitarian crisis in our government owes it to the territories to do their thing he can to fix fix it fix it. While its a most searching concern is also crucial that grid in puerto rico and the u. S. Version of the rebuilt with more modern Energy Technology based on increased Resiliency Energy efficiency and renewable energy. It will cost taxpayers more money and did nothing to make doctors in puerto rico more reliable or affordable. As Congress Prepares the most next emergency spending bill was change the law to enable their building to occur in a way that wasted groundwork for constructing a modern electric grid in the territories. We must consider innovative ways for turning around puerto rico situation including alternatives to overseeing the operation of the grid and all ideas from privatization which im not really a fan of to the creation of a Marketing Administration have to be up for conversation. Lets have ion from the puerto rican people. I dont know if anybody wants the minute that i still have. If not mr. Chairman i will yield back. The gentleman yields back. At this point we are ready for testimony. Thank you in advance. Thank you for sending your testimony in advance. Will be made part of the record. I would like each of you to take no more than five minutes to summarize your testimony at that point when that is concluded we will be asking questions. We are joined first by Patricia Hoffman the undersecretary for science and Energy Principle Deputy Assistant secretary for electricity delivery Energy Reliability. Welcome and thank you. Chairman that then Ranking Member rush distinguished members of the subcommittee i appreciate the opportunity to discuss Energy Security and Emergency Response issues related to the 2017 Hurricane Season. The mission of the office of electricity delivery and Energy Reliability to develop innovative cuttingedge solutions to ensure our nations Energy Infrastructure remains reliable affordable and resilient. In order to fulfill this mission the department of energy represents the technical capabilities of the National Laboratories in partnership with the key private sector stakeholders to focus on Early Stage Research and transformative projects. Our organization is also the lead for providing industry related expertise to the federal Energy Management agency also known as fema our interagency partners in the administration as part of the department of energys Emergency Response activities. Oa serves as the lead organization for Emergency Support function 12 under the National Response framework and a suspect theres agency for energy. As the lead for esf 12 e. Dio is response off for providing information and houses about disruption and to assist in facilitating the restoration of damaged Energy Infrastructure. During Hurricane Harvey irma maria we have worked with industry and the federals territorial and local partners to facilitate response and recovery. Overall d. O. E. Has received 18 Mission Assignments and has deployed more than 110 personnel for response efforts. Each of these storms are presented unique challenges to the energy sector. With respect to Hurricane Harvey we saw p. Electricity outages to three and a thousand customers in texas families gamma. While offshore crude oil or natural Gas Production were disrupted by the storm the greatest impacts were to the midstream and downstream oil and refinery sectors. At its peak more than 4 <