WASHINGTON, DC – As part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) ongoing effort to help Americans prepare for the 2006 hurricane season, DOE and industry have partnered to offer free, hands-on hurricane preparedness workshops in the Gulf Region.  The two-day workshops, “Shelter From the Storm Expo: Hands-On Hurricane Preparedness,” will be held throughout the hurricane season.  The first in a series of workshops, will be held tomorrow at the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers, Florida, Saturday, June 3, and Sunday June 4, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

“From teaching homeowners safe energy efficient strategies to ensuring transmission lines remain open, the Department of Energy is dedicated to preparing and re-establishing stronger, more energy-efficient communities,” said DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander Karsner.

Workshops are offered to help local residents learn how to prepare their homes for a hurricane and to teach them to make home repairs on their own.  More than 19 vendors will be on hand to offer training sessions and clinics, and will showcase new products that will help homeowners with repairs.  Exhibitors will also offer live demonstrations on cost-effective ways to improve a home’s energy efficiency and durability.  Sessions will include instruction on how to reinforce a roof, seal windows, re-install drywall, re-insulate and more.

In addition to having access to over a dozens home repair industry experts, attendees will also take home a free set of hurricane preparation and home-repair training guides.  The Home Depot will also give away 250 mystery gift cards each day of the workshops, which can be valued up to $1,000.  Also participating in the workshops will be the Florida Solar Energy Center, Florida Green Building Coalition and the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. 

Since the hurricanes of 2005, DOE has strengthened its hurricane response system through increased coordination between federal, state, and local leaders in a number of ways, including:

1. Training an additional 30 employees for emergency response, bringing the cadre of specially trained DOE response coordination personnel to more than 70;
2. Hosting the Energy Leadership forum in Tunica, MS, in January, to review best practices and lessons learned with industry representatives and federal, state, and local government leaders;
3. Updating and enhanced the hurricane modeling system for DOE’s Visualization Room;
4. Working with states to improve their energy assurance plans; and
5. Implementing a toll-free hotline for the 2006 hurricane season which will allow state and local leaders and representatives from the energy industry to improve communications with DOE during emergencies.

In 2005, DOE deployed emergency response experts to the Gulf region and had dozens of other individuals working on the hurricane response from DOE headquarters in Washington, DC.  Led by DOE’s Office of Electricity Deliver and Energy Reliability, the department coordinated with other federal agencies, state and local government leaders, and private industry to overcome obstacles and bring power back online and bring fuel to affected regions of the country.   At President Bush’s direction, DOE made crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve available for loan and sale to oil refiners to help maintain gasoline supply for the nation.  Additionally DOE ensured that high-sulfur #2 diesel was provided to utility pole companies so that poles would be ready for installation as soon as the storms passed.

Media contact(s):
Craig Stevens, (202) 586-4940