U.S. Risks National Blackout From Small-Scale Attack

[Capt Worley PE]

(Reuters) - Fierce solar blasts that could have badly damaged electrical grids and disabled satellites in space narrowly missed Earth in 2012, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

The bursts would have wreaked havoc on the Earth's magnetic field, matching the severity of the 1859 Carrington event, the largest solar magnetic storm ever reported on the planet. That blast knocked out the telegraph system across the United States, according to University of California, Berkeley research physicist Janet Luhmann.

"Had it hit Earth, it probably would have been like the big one in 1859, but the effect today, with our modern technologies, would have been tremendous," Luhmann said in a statement.

A 2013 study estimated that a solar storm like the Carrington Event could take a $2.6 trillion bite out of the current global economy.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/20/us-space-solarblasts-idUSBREA2I1SV20140320

 

[mudpuppy]

^Don't worry, the gubmint is working on this as well. There are actually pretty simple solutions to this problem that basically isolates the susceptible transformers from earth ground.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^ I'm actually more concerned with the effects on electronic devices than the grid, when it comes to CME.

That being said, I hope the isolation devices are either permanent or mechanically tripped, because of the above.

 

[Wolverine]

I don't think anything in the article is too surprising. Honestly, I've thought that NERC has been remiss in creating and enforcing a lot of cybersecurity standards while totally ignoring physical security. Why would a terrorist bother trying to hack into a SCADA system when they could just go to the substation and plant a bomb? Most people don't want to see substations, so they are typically fairly well hidden and thus easy to access unnoticed. So I'm glad to see they are starting to address the issue.

We've also had shooting incidents at substations (and on lines) but it's usually bored hunters or drunk kids.

Now all that being said, I think it's highly unlikely anyone would be able to figure out which substations they would need to take out to coordinate this kind of damage.

What bothers me more, that the article touches on, is there is no way to source large transformers in a reasonable time--and most of them come from overseas.

(Also, neat to see A.P. "Sakis" Meliopoulos in the article, he organizes a conference I'll be attending next month).

Mostly, this ^ ^ ^, but I'm calling Bovine-Scatology on the overall hype of this report. I do not believe a coordinated physical attack could "could cause the entire power network to collapse" (scare quotes!!! OMG!).

You could cause a lot of headaches, but after what I saw with Katrina, even after Act-Of-God damage, the grid can eventually be restored (mostly). You might have limited capacity to serve all customers for a while, but not total, indefinite blackout. That's stupid.

MP is right to worry about the availability of new transformers, but consider that the overall dynamics of the US system are highly varied. In crisis, utilities can share equipment, with Wisconsin loaning Florida or Birmingham loaning Chicago what they need. NERC has been working to formalize an emergency sharing plan so that which area of the country needs it can get it.

So I don't believe in The Nine. Actually here in the south, it's been theorized as The Three. But I say it would take a nearly perfectly coordinated attack involving hundreds of mischief-makers to make a real dent IMHO. I mean a semi-permanent dent.

Now an EMP...that's different. Then we're screwed. Grab your Go-Bag.

 

[engineergurl]

Grab your Go-Bag.

lol...

 

[Wolverine]

Oh, and MP, be sure to check in when you're down here in the ATL. We'll debate over lunch.

 

[Wolverine]

Oh, and MP, be sure to check in when you're down here in the ATL. We'll debate over lunch Sweetwater Brewery Tour on Thursday night.

oops, fixed it for me

 

[Capt Worley PE]

That reminds me...I need some new shoes. I'd hate walking home in my old clogs...they need to be relegated to lawnmower duty.