S1-DES-MA1-2021, Designation to the Office of Management for the 2021 Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan

U.S. Department of Energy 2021 Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan 1 I. Climate Adaptation Policy Statement This Climate Adaptation Policy Statement affirms the Department of Energy's (DOE or Department) commitment to lead by example in Federal efforts to manage the short and long-term effects of climate change on our mission, policies, programs, and operations. It also reaffirms our goal to address the challenges in President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 (E.O.), Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and to make climate adaptation and resilience an essential element of the work we do. The mission of DOE is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. DOE works on the frontiers of scientific understanding and technical innovation to address the impacts of climate change by researching, developing, and deploying innovative and promising sustainable and resilient clean energy technologies. DOE understands its mission is performed in an already changing climate. The Fourth National Climate Assessment reports that the nation will increasingly experience more frequent, intense, and longer duration extreme weather events across all regions of the country, including extreme temperature and precipitation events, stronger hurricanes and storm surge, and droughts and wildfires. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that damage costs are already significant with 2020 setting an historic record, with 22 separate events each costing over a billion dollars in damages, and a cumulative cost exceeding $95 billion dollars in 2020. DOE remains committed to taking every available action to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to reduce the impacts of climate change and we understand that we must adapt to these impacts and increase Departmental resilience. Sustaining DOE’s mission in this changing environment is dependent on DOE's ability to successfully identify aspects of climate change likely to impact our mission and operations, as well as our ability to respond strategically. DOE will lead by example to achieve the President’s mandate to both mitigate and adapt to climate change by setting ambitious goals, developing aggressive implementation plans, and acting with urgency to execute those plans. Our plans will be informed by the best science and technical information to effectively translate these into actions. Climate change adaptation is a crucial component of a comprehensive response to climate change and DOE will – through this plan – develop approaches that ensure its mission, programs, policies, and operations remain effective for the American people in current and future climate conditions. In addition, the DOE Sustainability Plan will outline actions DOE will take to mitigate climate change through emissions reductions. The Department’s climate actions support the President’s goals, including those articulated in E.O. 14008. The Department’s approach will comprise of several adaptation strategies such as reducing energy demand and increasing energy efficiency, increasing site and grid hardening and modernization, and enhancing the deployment of microgrids, distributed energy resources, and storage. In addition, sites and offices will conduct climate vulnerability assessments and develop resilience plans no later than one year from issuance of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan and update these documents at least every four years.

Our adaptation and resilience path forward will be shaped by the following guiding principles: • Protecting DOE assets from climate change impacts by assessing our vulnerabilities, taking action to adapt to the changing environment, and making resilience a cornerstone of operations to ensure DOE has climate-ready sites. Designation No. S1-DES-MA1-2021 U.S. Department of Energy 2021 Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan 2 The Department’s adaptation and resilience path forward will be shaped by the following guiding principles: • Protecting DOE assets from climate change impacts by assessing its vulnerabilities, taking action to adapt to the changing environment, and making resilience a cornerstone of operations to ensure DOE has climate-ready sites. • Using the scientific expertise and world-class research and development capabilities of DOE’s National Laboratories to demonstrate promising adaptation technologies at DOE sites. • Partnering with local communities so we may share in the benefits of DOE’s climate adaptation, resilience, and energy and environmental justice initiatives. • Leveraging DOE’s purchasing power in collaboration with other Federal agencies to spur innovation, identify and reduce climate-related financial risk, enhance resilience, and expand the market for U.S. manufactured sustainable products and services, and promote well-paying union jobs on the path to a clean energy economy. In addition to these guiding principles, the Department commits to implementing the performance goals and actions that are included in the Department’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, and the Sustainability Plan which will be issued in the future. The Department will incorporate these actions, guiding principles and goals in our planning, operations, and budget processes, including where appropriate, identifying opportunities to realign resources and needs for new resources. Furthermore, the Department will engage and share best practices with other Federal agencies through the National Climate Task Force, interagency working groups, and by joining or forging new collaborations with other agencies and stakeholders, as appropriate. DOE will continue to leverage its unique modeling, climate science expertise, policy, and engineering capabilities in collaboration with other agencies and institutions, to continuously improve our adaptation and resilience strategies. The Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan will be updated as needed to capture new understandings and any mission changes in order for the Department to effectively address the climate crisis. I am designating Ingrid Kolb, DOE’s Chief Sustainability Officer as the senior level official responsible for coordinating implementation of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, and directing the Sustainability Steering Committee (SSC), comprised of senior leaders from the DOE program and staff offices, to coordinate implementation of this policy, identify and propose solutions to barriers, and provide any necessary guidance. Quarterly updates on our progress will be provided to DOE senior leadership. _____________________________ _____________________ Jennifer Granholm Date Secretary of Energy 08/25/21

I. Climate Adaptation Policy Statement II. Introduction III. Priority Adaptation Actions PRIORITY ACTION 1: Assess Vulnerabilities and Implement Resilience Solutions at DOE Sites PRIORITY ACTION 2: Enhance Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Co-benefits at DOE Sites PRIORITY ACTION 3: Institutionalize Climate Adaptation and Resilience Across DOE Policies, Directives, and Processes PRIORITY ACTION 4: Provide Climate Adaptation Tools, Technical Support, and Climate Science Information PRIORITY ACTION 5: Advance Deployment of Emerging Climate Resilient Technologies IV. Specific Topic Areas SPECIFIC TOPIC 1: Update Climate Vulnerability Assessments SPECIFIC TOPIC 2: Enhance Climate Literacy in DOE’s Management Workforce SPECIFIC TOPIC 3a: Enhance Climate Resilience for Climate-Ready Sites and Facilities SPECIFIC TOPIC 3b: Ensure a Climate-Ready Supply of Products and Services V. Conclusion