Electrical Grid Vulnerablities

We have all probably experienced short electrical blackouts lasting minutes or hours after a storm, but what are the chances of a much longer one? Are storms the only major threat to the electrical grid? Can we always count on utilities to quickly restore power? What preparations should we make?

Michael Patton will outline what he sees as possible major threats to the electrical grid in the Cincinnati area: weather, human error, massive solar flare with coronal mass ejection, physical attack, electromagnetic pulse, fuel shortages, and hacking. He will estimate the possible time to recover from a realistic worst case for each. Spoiler alert: he is not a “doomer.” At the end he will suggest preparations which do not involve moving to a mountain in Idaho.

Recorded on November 15, 2018

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