Welcome to the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability's (OE) web site. We work to ensure that this Nation's energy delivery system is secure, resilient and reliable. This is a system that includes the infrastructure that brings electricity into our homes, offices, and factories, and the federal and state electricity policies and programs that shape electric system planning and market operations. It is also a system that needs protection and support, an effort that involves collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and others to bolster the resiliency of the grid and assist with restoration when major energy supply interruptions occur.

In OE, our efforts are multifaceted and forward-looking. We work to help secure the Nation's energy infrastructure against attack and natural disasters and facilitate repairs and restoration when it is damaged or services disrupted. Our Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration (ISER) office is at the front line of efforts to protect our national and economic security by ensuring a diverse supply and dependable delivery of affordable electricity and fuel.

Effective policies and regulatory planning are also extremely important to the efficient delivery of electricity. OE's office of Permitting, Siting and Analysis (PSA) examines the regulatory and institutional barriers that hinder the efficient and secure operation of electric transmission and distribution systems. PSA also coordinates with national, regional, state, and local organizations and utilities to develop effective solutions to increasing the reliability and efficiency of electric market operations.

Finally, in our Research and Development (R&D) office, we look to the future as we facilitate the creation, advancement and deployment of the new technologies that will ensure a truly modern and robust grid capable of meeting the demands of the 21st century. Whether it is on the supply side, to enable the delivery of clean energy sources such as renewables, clean coal, and nuclear power, or on the demand side, in developing a new smart grid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, OE is working to ensure our grid retains its standing as the most effective and efficient in the world.

Making investments to modernize our electricity grid, securing a diverse and stable supply of reliable energy, and increasing efficiency are central to the Administration's effort to increase energy and economic security.

• Career Opportunities (PDF 360 KB)

Patricia A. Hoffman, Acting Assistant Secretary 

In March 2003 the Department created two offices to provide focus in several critical areas: the Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution (TD), which advanced the technologies needed to ensure a reliable, robust and modern U.S. electricity grid, and the Office of Energy Assurance (EA), which coordinated Federal response activities within the energy sector during energy disruptions and developed strategies to harden infrastructure against such disruptions.

On August 14, 2003, large portions of the Midwest and Northeast United States and Ontario, Canada were hit by a massive blackout which disabled over 61 gigawatts of electrical capacity affecting over 50 million people and causing (in the U.S.) somewhere between $4 and $10 billion in damages. Both offices immediately responded to the disaster. EA staff facilitated energizing an electrical line between Connecticut and New York, bringing back on line large parts of New York City. TD staff worked with the newly-established U.S./Canada Power System Outage Task Force to analyze the causes of the blackout and recommend future steps to avoid a reoccurrence.

In 2005 both offices, along with elements of the DOE Fossil Energy office, were merged into the new Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE). Within several months, in August and September of that year, the Gulf Coast was devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, causing billions of dollars in damage, huge disruptions in oil and gas production and distribution, and electricity distribution. OE moved within hours of the landfalls of these hurricanes to coordinate Federal efforts to restore both electrical power and the flow of petroleum products throughout the Eastern half of the country. As these restoration efforts were concluded, OE staff turned their attention to working with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and the private sector to develop simulation and other tools to help reduce energy system vulnerability to future threats.

In 2007, OE was elevated and the position of Assistant Secretary of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability was created. In the three years since it's inception, OE has been working to stimulate investment in electric and energy infrastructure, advance the state of scientific development in supply and demand side electric technologies, identify barriers to continued reliable electric service, deepen consideration of security and resiliency measures in infrastructure planning, and expand partnerships with State and private sector stakeholders. We have played and will continue to play a major role in addressing immediate challenges to America's energy security, while sustaining applied research into new technologies and policies to answer the challenges we face in the future.