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For more than 30 years, ICF International has advised both
public- and private-sector clients in all areas of the energy
industry, including the protection of the country's energy
infrastructure. ICF International's energy
expertise encompasses electric, natural gas, petroleum,
coal, and renewables production and transmission
systems.
To advise clients about protecting critical energy infrastructures,
we model the production and transmission systems—considering
the economics of power plants and pipelines, as well as the
physical and electrical characteristics of the transmission
grid. ICF International also models the natural gas sector,
and tracks petroleum movements around the world to estimate
the economic impact of physical disruptions.
To learn more about the competing pressures of grid operations,
why containment failed, and recommendations on preventing
future cascade occurrences, visit ICF International's special
section on Understanding
the 2003 Power Outages, Cascading Blackouts, & the Transmission
Grid.
Learn more about ICF International's capabilities
in homeland security and emergency management, including
critical
infrastructure protection.
Our Capabilities
ICF International began working on energy security issues in
the 1970s, and was a key analytical resource for the U.S.
Federal Government's Project Independence initiative to reduce
the nation's exposure to imported oil. Over the past 30 years,
ICF International has developed highly detailed computer models
of the North American energy sector.
These models, and the firm's expert team of energy analysts,
allow ICF International to perform bottoms-up analyses of the
nation's energy infrastructure in order to assess vulnerabilities,
develop hazard protection plans, analyze economic impacts
of energy disruption, and develop mitigation plans to restore
energy services.
ICF International can analyze detailed power flows on the electric
transmission and distribution grids and assess interregional
supply constraints. Detailed models of natural gas production
and transportation, and oil disruption analyses allow ICF International to work with energy security teams to assess vulnerabilities
and develop mitigation strategies.
Whether it's assessing the vulnerability of a highly strategic
single node on the power grid or the entire Eastern Interconnect,
ICF International has the detailed analytics, and combination
of energy and emergency management expertise to develop effective
security solutions for the United States' critical energy
infrastructure.
Our Services
- Conduct detailed modeling of the North
American electric power generation and transmission system
- Perform modeling and analysis of the North American natural
gas production and transportation infrastructure
- Assess crude oil and petroleum product delivery systems,
including refinery operations
- Identify vulnerabilities and potential hazards to the
energy infrastructure
- Establish safeguards to minimize hazards
- Upgrade energy security contingency plans
- Develop energy infrastructure response and recovery plans
- Communicate energy emergency plans and actions to stakeholders
- Train energy emergency management personnel
- Design and conduct energy emergency exercises
- Support operations during an energy emergency
- Foster energy emergency coordination between federal,
state, local, and private sector partners
- Support government programs related to energy security
- Design and implement emergency energy conservation and
demand response programs
- Develop economic strategies to foster increased redundancy
in critical energy infrastructure
Selected Projects
Assessment of Natural Gas Pipeline Security. ICF performed an assessment of natural gas pipeline security that is being used to assist the natural gas pipeline industry in identifying critical infrastructure and developing appropriate security guidelines for the industry. The methodology evaluates potential impacts of a major disruption of natural gas infrastructure on energy markets under a wide range of conditions. ICF's Gas Market Model (GMM®) was used to develop scenarios that explored the impacts of potential natural gas pipeline outages on natural gas markets. The study considers the size and location of hypothetical outages and determines the market impact depending on the timing of the outage and weather conditions.
Evaluating Terrorist Threats Against
Energy Transmission Systems. ICF International recently
conducted the United States' first joint public and private
sector exercise focusing on terrorist threats to electric
power transmission systems for a federal client.
Designed to test existing plans and educate key
personnel on new threats and vulnerabilities,
this exercise tested the capabilities of state,
local, and private-sector organizations to jointly
respond to an attack. We also analyzed the transmission
load flow under multiple scenarios to evaluate potential contingencies
and identify critical points of concern on the transmission
network.
Evaluating Response Plans for the Boston,
Massachusetts, Fire Department. In the wake of the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Boston Fire
Department immediately revisited the risk associated with
the marine transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through
Boston Harbor and in contiguous areas where the impact
of an event could affect the city. Our collaborative efforts
included outreach to interested parties at the local, regional,
and state levels, as well as reviewing risk management
plans and identifying any potential gaps or conflicts.
More sophisticated Standard Operating Procedures were also
developed, including the recommendation for a dynamic response
plan based on a conceptual decision tree that incorporates "real
time" consequence assessment when responding to a fire
event. Such an approach sharpens the technical focus of the
response operations, which in turn minimizes the risk and
increases the cost-effectiveness.
Vulnerability Assessment of a State and
Regional Petroleum Infrastructure and Distribution System. ICF International analyzed the petroleum infrastructure and distribution
system in New England for the Massachusetts Division of
Energy Resources to establish a baseline for evaluating
potential future energy and emergency planning policies.
We analyzed trends in petroleum supply and demand, characterized terminal storage
facilities and delivery systems, identified potential vulnerabilities, and
suggested possible remedies.
Evaluating Terrorist Threats Against
Dams. For one of the world's largest oil producers,
ICF International engineers developed and implemented a Geotechnical
Safety Program for earth structures, including three earth
dams and numerous slopes with important infrastructure
facilities. The safety program included an assessment of
earth dam vulnerability to terrorist attack and engineering
controls to mitigate the effects of such an attack. The
safety program includes the following components:
- performance criteria
- design assessment
- field measurement system
- construction and safety assessments
- surveillance
- performance evaluations
- remedial measures
- contingency plans
Support to a European Government in the
Area of Emergency Planning. ICF International is providing
support to a European government currently developing an
Emergency Action Plan. The specific country is highly dependent
on petroleum, although natural gas is slowly beginning
to make inroads. An internal law has recently been passed
requiring the Minister of Development to mandate strategic
petroleum stocks, specify who will hold the stocks and
where, and outline an emergency plan in the event of a
crude oil supply disruption. Implementation of a Ministerial
Decree detailing the regulations is of high priority due
to Middle East conflicts. ICF International has been retained
to develop the emergency planning regulations that include
both the use of strategic stocks and demand reduction regulations.
Vulnerability Assessment of Disruptions
to Power Grid. For a Midwestern state, ICF International
conducted a vulnerability assessment to determine the
susceptibility of the state's energy infrastructure
to a terrorism attack that could result in
power grid disruptions. This assessment laid
the foundation for an exercise requiring a
unique public/private-sector approach to education
and partnered problem-solving.
Developing a Geotechnical Safety Program
for a Major Oil Company. For one of the world's largest
oil producers, ICF International engineers developed and implemented
a Geotechnical Safety Program for earth structures,
including three earth dams and numerous slopes
with important infrastructure facilities.
The program included an assessment of earth dam vulnerability to terrorist
attack and engineering controls to mitigate the effects of such an attack.
Kuwait Oil Fields Attack—Contamination
and Environmental Sensitivity Index Mapping. The
Gulf War of 1991 generated the largest oil spill in history
and affected the coastlines of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Because of the local current, wind patterns, and configuration
of the coastline, significant impacts to
the shoreline occurred in Saudi Arabia. ICF International was part of an international team assisting
the Saudi government's Meteorological and Environmental
Protection Agency (MESA), in responding to the oil spill
crisis. We collected and analyzed ground and aerial information
concerning the type of shoreline and extent of the spill,
as well as performed the contamination and Environmental
Sensitivity Index (ESI) mapping. These activities were
crucial to prioritize cleanup activities and protect sensitive
resources. Each shoreline was also characterized in terms
of preferred cleanup method and quantity of oiled material
to be removed. This is the only map series of oil distribution
in Saudi Arabia produced during the Gulf War oil spills
and serves as a basis for future analyses of natural cleansing
and the effects of the limited cleanup program.
Decommissioning of a Pesticide Plant. ICF International
managed the decontamination and decommissioning of a manufacturing
facility of organochlorine pesticide—a material
similar in structure to agents used in chemical
weapons—for a multinational chemicals
corporation. Years of production of this
toxic chemical and by-products such as dioxins
and furans resulted in widespread contamination of vessels, piping, and facility
structures. We developed detailed designs for the decontamination and
decommissioning procedures, provided quality assurance/quality
control oversight and testing, and conducted a benchmark
study to evaluate industry standards for similar decommissioning
projects. We ensured that all activities were conducted in
accordance with applicable regulations and permits, and provided
an experienced team to guide the planning and implementation
of this complex decommissioning job.
Investigating the Toxic Gas Release at
Bhopal. Following the tragic incident at Bhopal,
ICF International assisted in investigating
the cause of the toxic gas release. The subsequent
runaway reaction was carefully analyzed and,
after evaluating the root causes, corrective
actions were implemented and engineering
controls installed. Our tasks included reviewing
the original plant design and that of its
sister plants in the United States, inspecting
the Bhopal facility and its operating records, and performing laboratory experiments
to evaluate the reaction kinetics.
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