Texas Adopts Critical Infrastructure Map to Aid Emergency Preparedness

The Texas Public Utilities Commission on April 29 announced the completion of the Electricity Supply Chain Map of critical infrastructure that can be used during emergency preparedness and response activities. The map will enable emergency management officials to pinpoint the location of critical facilities as well as their emergency contact information.

The map identifies critical infrastructure facilities that constitute Texas electricity supply chain, including power plants and natural gas facilities that supply these plants. More than 65,000 facilities are included in the map currently, including gas-fired power plants, electrical substations, gas processing plants, underground storage facilities, oil and gas well leases, and salt water disposal wells. The map also has more than 21,000 miles of gas transmission pipelines and 60,000 miles of electricity transmission lines.

Apart from the location of critical facilities, the map contains elements such as the Division of Emergency Management regions and “visualizations of weather watches and warnings” occurring across the state.

Legislation enacted in response to the February 2021 winter storm event established the Texas Electricity Supply Chain Security and Mapping Committee to map the state’s electricity supply chain, in order to identify critical infrastructure sources and ensure best practices to maintain service during extreme weather events. The committee is also required to recommend oversight and compliance standards for these facilities and designate priority service needs. The law does not permit public release of the map to protect the safety and integrity of the supply chain. The map will be updated twice a year or more frequently as needed. The committee is made up of the Public Utility Commission, Railroad Commission, Division of Emergency Management, and Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

The committee will hold a meeting on May 31.