Hurricane highlights energy weakness

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. energy sector needs "planning for resilience" as domestic markets struggle to recover from Hurricane Sandy, an analyst said.

New Jersey this week lifted a rationing system for retail gasoline purchases nearly two weeks after Hurricane Sandy, a Category 1 storm, battered the East Coast. Millions of residents in the region lost electrical power in a storm intensified by an east-bound system. Energy infrastructure was challenged further by a nor'easter that followed.

Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of research company IHS, told delegates at an energy security forum in Washington that there's an "urgent need" to advance energy security in the United Sates.

"One has to assume that shocks will come. This requires planning for resilience and striving for the best information for decision-making," he said. "It also requires pre-positioning the knowledge so that governments and private sector can communicate smoothly and quickly."

An update on recovery operations in New York, provided by Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office, reports that nearly 25,000 consumers were still without power.

"An emergency order establishing an odd-even license plate system for gasoline purchases remains in effect until further notice," a statement from Bloomberg's office read.