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                    Most Recent Reports**1 - 20 of 196 Reports**
	
	

	
	  **Released on   Sep 20, 2021**
          Electricity Grid Resilience
    GAO-21-105403
      Published:   Sep 20, 2021
. 
        Publicly Released:   Sep 20, 2021
.
    The nation's grid delivers electricity that is essential for our modern life. However, risks such as extreme weather, cyberattacks, and electromagnetic events like solar storms can damage our electrical infrastructure (like power lines) and communications systems. The resulting power outages can threaten the nation's economic and national security. With examples drawn from several GAO reports, we describe these risks and highlight key opportunities to improve...
      **Released on   Mar 18, 2021**
          Electricity Grid Cybersecurity: DOE Needs to Ensure Its Plans Fully Address Risks to Distribution Systems
    GAO-21-81
      Published:   Mar 18, 2021
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 18, 2021
.
    The U.S. electricity grid's distribution systems—the parts of the grid that carry electricity to consumers—are becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks, in part because of the introduction of and reliance on monitoring and control technologies. However, the scale of potential impacts from such attacks is not well understood. The Department of Energy is working on the energy sector portion of the national cybersecurity strategy, but it...
      **Released on   Mar 10, 2021**
          Electricity Grid Resilience: Climate Change Is Expected to Have Far-reaching Effects and DOE and FERC Should Take Actions
    GAO-21-423T
      Published:   Mar 10, 2021
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 10, 2021
.
    Climate change is expected to affect every aspect of the electricity grid—from generation, transmission, and distribution, to demand for electricity. For example, more frequent droughts and changing rainfall patterns may diminish hydroelectricity in some areas, and increasing wildfires may damage transmission lines. We testified about how the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could enhance grid resilience. We recommended that DOE develop...
          Electricity Grid Resilience: Climate Change Is Expected to Have Far-reaching Effects and DOE and FERC Should Take Actions
    GAO-21-346
      Published:   Mar 5, 2021
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 10, 2021
.
    Climate change is expected to affect every aspect of the electricity grid—from generation, transmission, and distribution, to demand for electricity. For example, more frequent droughts and changing rainfall patterns may diminish hydroelectricity in some areas, and increasing wildfires may damage transmission lines. The Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could do more to enhance grid resilience to climate change. We recommended that...
      **Released on   Sep 23, 2020**
          Gas Transmission Pipelines: Interstate Transportation of Natural Gas Is Generally Reliable, but FERC Should Better Identify and Assess Emerging Risks
    GAO-20-658
      Published:   Sep 23, 2020
. 
        Publicly Released:   Sep 23, 2020
.
    The interstate pipeline system that transports natural gas has generally been reliable, but interruptions can be serious. For example, 7,000 homes and businesses in Rhode Island didn't have heat during a weeklong service outage in January 2019. However, because the system has been reliable, the commission responsible for overseeing its reliability—the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission—doesn't routinely review pipeline operator reports that could help it better...
      **Released on   Aug 6, 2020**
          Natural Gas Exports: Updated Guidance and Regulations Could Improve Facility Permitting Processes
    GAO-20-619
      Published:   Aug 6, 2020
. 
        Publicly Released:   Aug 6, 2020
.
    In 2019, about 39% of U.S. natural gas exports went through export facilities—in which the gas is liquefied and loaded onto ships for transport. Multiple federal agencies regulate export facility design. Federal guidance says that agencies should review regulations every 3-5 years and, if needed, adopt current technical standards for safety and environmental protection. But some regulations haven't been updated. For example, one agency requires...
      **Released on   Sep 25, 2019**
          Critical Infrastructure Protection: Actions Needed to Address Significant Cybersecurity Risks Facing the Electric Grid
    GAO-19-332
      Published:   Aug 26, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Sep 25, 2019
.
    The nation’s electric grid is becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks—particularly those involving industrial control systems that support grid operations. Recent federal assessments indicate that cyberattacks could cause widespread power outages in the United States, but the scale of such outages is uncertain. The Department of Energy (DOE) plays a key role in helping address cybersecurity risks in each component of the electric grid’s infrastructure. However...
      **Released on   Apr 19, 2019**
          Tribal Consultation: Additional Federal Actions Needed for Infrastructure Projects
    GAO-19-22
      Published:   Mar 20, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Apr 19, 2019
.
    Federal agencies are required, at times, to consult with tribes on infrastructure projects like pipelines that may harm tribal natural and cultural resources. According to tribal and agency officials, there are several factors making these consultations less effective. For example: Some tribal representatives held the view that agencies did not consider their input and that consultations started too late. Agencies reported difficulty obtaining the contact...
      **Released on   Dec 19, 2018**
          Critical Infrastructure Protection: Protecting the Electric Grid from Geomagnetic Disturbances
    GAO-19-98
      Published:   Dec 19, 2018
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 19, 2018
.
    Under some circumstances, a severe solar storm could create disturbances in Earth's magnetic field that lead to extensive power outages. We looked at some technologies intended to protect the U.S. electrical grid from possible effects of these disturbances. Technologies being tested include: systems that block currents from geomagnetic disturbances power transformers designed to be more resistant to such currents The government has taken some steps...
      **Released on   Nov 5, 2018**
          Dam Safety: FERC Should Analyze Portfolio-Wide Risks
    GAO-19-19
      Published:   Oct 5, 2018
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 5, 2018
.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oversees over 2,500 dams used for hydropower. The near failure of a FERC-licensed dam in California in 2017 highlights the safety risks of dams. What does FERC do to ensure safety? FERC engineers inspect dams and review engineering studies as key safety steps. This helps FERC understand the risks at individual dams. However, a lack of standard language and procedures...
      **Released on   Sep 6, 2018**
          Energy Infrastructure Permitting: Factors Affecting Timeliness and Efficiency
    GAO-18-693T
      Published:   Sep 6, 2018
. 
        Publicly Released:   Sep 6, 2018
.
    Federal agencies play a critical role in ensuring that energy infrastructure projects comply with federal statutes and regulations. We testified about the role of federal agencies in reviewing and permitting various types of energy infrastructure, such as offshore oil and gas projects. We found that a number of factors affect the timeliness and efficiency of these reviews—such as coordination between federal agencies, the number of...
      **Released on   Feb 7, 2018**
          Critical Infrastructure Protection: Electricity Suppliers Have Taken Actions to Address Electromagnetic Risks, and Additional Research Is Ongoing
    GAO-18-67
      Published:   Feb 7, 2018
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 7, 2018
.
    Under some circumstances, a severe solar storm or high-altitude nuclear blast could damage the U.S. electric grid and potentially cause extensive outages. New standards require some electricity suppliers to assess their vulnerability to extreme solar storms. We reviewed industry actions to reduce risks from extreme solar storms and high-altitude nuclear blasts. Government and industry experts generally knew more about solar than nuclear risks, and agreed...
      **Released on   Dec 22, 2017**
          Natural Gas Storage: Department of Transportation Could Take Additional Steps to Improve Safety Enforcement Planning
    GAO-18-89
      Published:   Nov 22, 2017
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 22, 2017
.
    Natural gas is stored underground, often in old oil fields near cities. This proximity helps meet peak demand quickly but also makes leaks more problematic. One near Los Angeles in 2015 led 8,000 families to leave their homes for weeks. A 2016 law called for minimum federal safety standards for storage sites, and the Department of Transportation has issued interim standards while working on final...
      **Released on   Dec 7, 2017**
          Electricity Markets: Four Regions Use Capacity Markets to Help Ensure Adequate Resources, but FERC Has Not Fully Assessed Their Performance
    GAO-18-131
      Published:   Dec 7, 2017
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 7, 2017
.
    To ensure there will be enough electricity from power plants to meet customers' future needs, some U.S. electricity grid operators use "capacity markets." In capacity markets, power plant owners are paid for committing that their plants will be available to provide electricity during a specified future time period, encouraging them to build new power plants and retain existing ones. We reviewed the Federal Energy Regulatory...
      **Released on   Nov 2, 2017**
          Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Preliminary Observations on the Emergency Oil Stockpile
    GAO-18-209T
      Published:   Nov 2, 2017
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 2, 2017
.
    Congress created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve more than 4 decades ago to release oil during supply disruptions and protect the U.S. economy. In this testimony, we noted that since then, oil has been released 11 times in response to domestic disruptions, including 6 caused by hurricanes. However, the reserve’s ability to respond is limited. We found 3 main reasons: it is almost entirely made up...
      **Released on   Mar 15, 2017**
          Electricity: Status of Residential Deployment of Solar and Other Technologies and Potential Benefits and Challenges
    GAO-17-142
      Published:   Feb 13, 2017
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 15, 2017
.
    Rooftop solar panels, batteries, and smart thermostats, installed in residences, can allow customers to generate and store electricity, as well as manage its use. These and other technologies can make electricity grids operate more efficiently and provide other benefits—such as cleaner generation of electricity. However, if deployed without regard to grid conditions, these technologies could present challenges—for example, too much customer-generated power could exceed local...
      **Released on   Feb 24, 2017**
          Electricity: Federal Efforts to Enhance Grid Resilience
    GAO-17-153
      Published:   Jan 25, 2017
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 24, 2017
.
    The nation's electricity grid faces potential threats from natural disasters and deliberate attacks. We looked at the federal government's efforts to enhance the grid’s resilience—its ability to adapt to changing conditions and withstand and recover from potentially disruptive events (such as the loss of power lines). The 27 federal efforts to enhance grid resilience focused on enhancing awareness of potential disruptions, coordinating responses, and sharing...
      **Released on   Jul 5, 2016**
          U.S.-China Cooperation: Bilateral Clean Energy Programs Show Some Results but Should Enhance Their Performance Monitoring
    GAO-16-669
      Published:   Jul 5, 2016
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jul 5, 2016
.
      **Released on   May 17, 2016**
          Critical Infrastructure Protection: Federal Efforts to Address Electromagnetic Risks
    GAO-16-641T
      Published:   May 17, 2016
. 
        Publicly Released:   May 17, 2016
.
      **Released on   Apr 25, 2016**
          Critical Infrastructure Protection: Federal Agencies Have Taken Actions to Address Electromagnetic Risks, but Opportunities Exist to Further Assess Risks and Strengthen Collaboration
    GAO-16-243
      Published:   Mar 24, 2016
. 
        Publicly Released:   Apr 25, 2016
.
    
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