This week’s solar flare illuminates the grid’s vulnerability
June 13, 2011 | Source: New York Times
The next peak cycle of sunspot activity is predicted for 2012–2014, bringing with it a greater risk of large geomagnetic storms that can generate powerful rogue currents in transmission lines, potentially damaging or destroying the large transformers that manage power flow over high-voltage networks.
In the worst-case scenario, the stockpile of spare transformers would fall far short of replacement needs. Urban centers across the continent would be without power for many months or even years, until new transformers could be manufactured and delivered from Asia. No comprehensive plan exists to retrofit the transmission grid with protective devices.
“The U.S. society and economy are so critically dependent upon the availability of electricity that a significant collapse of the grid precipitated by a major natural or man-made EMP [electro-magnetic pulse] event could result in catastrophic civilian casualties,” Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) said at a May 31 House Energy subcommittee hearing on the issue.
Comments (1)
by Markustee
“Urban centers across the continent would be without power for many months or even years, until new transformers could be manufactured and delivered from Asia. The transformers are not made in the United States.”
If there is a comment that highlights the problem that we have right now, this is it. Why are these not made in the United States? Do we not understand how vulnerable that makes US?
They should be made in the United States. We need such capacity. But the government has not done its job – when it is cheaper to import these huge transformers (and it is) than to make them here, we have made ourselves vulnerable in a critical area. We need to understand WHY it is cheaper to make these overseas and import them – and change those reasons. And government subsidies are NOT the answer.