Interdependencies Workshop:
Long-term Power Outage
Region 6, EMAC, Critical Infrastructure Working Group
Workshop Details
Date: May 2019
Location: Seattle/Puget Sound Area
Date: May 2019
Location: Seattle/Puget Sound Area
This interdependencies workshop will focus on a long-term electrical system blackout caused by a CME event striking North America. While most power outage planning revolves around other natural hazard events like windstorms, earthquakes or terrorism, this exercise will look a much longer power outage with widespread impacts to the urban areas as well as suburban and rural communities.
The scenario for the exercise is under development but looks to incorporate considerations for the varying impact of blackouts that could last 10, 20, 30 days or more. While concentrating on critical infrastructures, the human impacts to people and systems like our healthcare institutions would also be included in the workshop.
The scenario for the exercise is under development but looks to incorporate considerations for the varying impact of blackouts that could last 10, 20, 30 days or more. While concentrating on critical infrastructures, the human impacts to people and systems like our healthcare institutions would also be included in the workshop.
The threat of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is very real. The Federal Government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to try to detect a solar outburst and provide minutes of warning to earth. Even with a timely warning, organizations do not have procedures in place to protect their electronic systems. The potential impacts from North America receiving a direct hit could be
catastrophic to our electrical grid.
catastrophic to our electrical grid.
|
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Warning Center estimates a G5 Geomagnetic Storm will cause the following types of impacts:
Power systems: Widespread voltage control problems and protective system problems can occur, some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may experience damage. Spacecraft operations: May experience extensive surface charging, problems with orientation, uplink/downlink and tracking satellites. Other systems: Pipeline currents can reach hundreds of amps, HF (high frequency) radio propagation may be impossible in many areas for one to two days, satellite navigation may be degraded for days, low-frequency radio navigation can be out for hours, and aurora has been seen as low as Florida and southern Texas (typically 40° geomagnetic lat.). |
Image: Courtesy NASA
|
The goals of the workshop are:
- To educate individuals and organizations who operate our lifeline and other infrastructure systems as to the impacts of a CME event.
- Understand the consequences of a long-term power outage to our systems and their functioning
- Assess the level of planning by government and the private sector specifically for CME events.
- Look for opportunities for infrastructures to incorporate mitigation and prevention measures into their planning and funding to minimize the impacts of a CME event.
- Prepare a report of the findings coming from the workshop
For more information, contact Eric Holdeman at eric.holdeman@pnwer.org or Steve Myers at steve@pnwer.org.
