(SEATTLE, WA) -- DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz will join Sen. Maria Cantwell for
a field hearing in Seattle today to examine how prepared the agency is to
respond to a potential massive earthquake and tsunami in the Pacific Northwest
that could cause widespread blackouts.
Scientists have found in recent months
that the risk of a major quake in the Cascadia Subduction zone - where one
tectonic plate is sliding under another - is higher than initially thought. The
region which stretches from northern California to British Columbia is long
overdue for a magnitude 9 earthquake, scientists say. The last one occurred
more than 300 years ago, as the eye-opening New Yorker piece last year documented.
Don't Forget Everyone Else
Cantwell, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking Democrat, and Moniz will also review how well DOE would cope with other natural disasters, as well as grid-related cyber-attacks that target energy infrastructure. Cantwell and Moniz will then head west to the Tri-Cities area of the state for a Tuesday roundtable discussion of energy workforce issues.
Don't Forget Everyone Else
Cantwell, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking Democrat, and Moniz will also review how well DOE would cope with other natural disasters, as well as grid-related cyber-attacks that target energy infrastructure. Cantwell and Moniz will then head west to the Tri-Cities area of the state for a Tuesday roundtable discussion of energy workforce issues.
