The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Energy Office and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Division of Emergency Management jointly hosted a statewide natural gas tabletop exercise. Exercise attendees included several public and private sector partners including members of the North Carolina Energy Policy Council, Williams Companies, North Carolina Utilities Commission, local officials, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy Corporation, and Piedmont Natural Gas. The statewide tabletop exercise was initiated based on a recommendation from a Biennial Report issued by the state’s Energy Policy Council, an independent body that advises the governor and General Assembly on energy policy.
The exercise centered around a ransomware attack on a natural gas pipeline, compounded by severe winter weather conditions that disrupted natural gas delivery. Participants engaged in discussions related to response, public information sharing, and coordinating efforts between public and private entities. For more information or questions on North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Energy Office natural gas exercise please reach out to Hayward Fain (hayward.fain@deq.nc.gov).