Sal, our energy needs are increasing exponentially... with electricity ultimately becoming our primary source of power...
BUT...
What steps can we take to guarantee the power grid doesn't collapse from solar disturbances or any other calamity... since that would probably mean the end of human civilization? Hello, Allan.
You’re thinking about grid resilience... making sure electricity stays available even when nature (solar storms), accidents, or attacks try to knock it out.
The good news is: We can design for this.
The key is to avoid “one big fragile machine” and instead build a grid that absorbs shocks, isolates damage, and restarts fast!
Hello, Allan.
You’re thinking about grid resilience... making sure electricity stays available even when nature (solar storms), accidents, or attacks try to knock it out.
The good news is: We can design for this.
The key is to avoid “one big fragile machine” and instead build a grid that absorbs shocks, isolates damage, and restarts fast!
1) Harden the grid against solar storms! (geomagnetic disturbances)
Solar storms mainly threaten high-voltage transformers and long transmission lines by inducing geomagnetically induced currents. (GICs)
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Block or limit GICs: Install GIC monitoring and mitigation. (neutral blocking devices where appropriate, series capacitors, improved grounding practices)
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Operational “storm mode”: when space-weather alerts hit, temporarily reduce loading, change power flows, and take vulnerable equipment out of the most stressful configurations.
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Transformer protection upgrades: Better relays/settings, thermal monitoring, and procedures to prevent cascading damage.
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Spare transformer strategy: Big transformers are long-lead items. Build a strategic reserve (regional spares), “rapid transport” plans, and designs that are more interchangeable.
Solar storms mainly threaten high-voltage transformers and long transmission lines by inducing geomagnetically induced currents. (GICs)
-
Block or limit GICs: Install GIC monitoring and mitigation. (neutral blocking devices where appropriate, series capacitors, improved grounding practices)
-
Operational “storm mode”: when space-weather alerts hit, temporarily reduce loading, change power flows, and take vulnerable equipment out of the most stressful configurations.
-
Transformer protection upgrades: Better relays/settings, thermal monitoring, and procedures to prevent cascading damage.
-
Spare transformer strategy: Big transformers are long-lead items. Build a strategic reserve (regional spares), “rapid transport” plans, and designs that are more interchangeable.
2) Make the grid “fail smaller” with segmentation!
A civilization-scale outage usually happens when problems cascade faster than operators can contain them.
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Intentional islanding: Design the grid so sections can disconnect automatically and keep running locally instead of collapsing together.
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More microgrids: Critical loads (hospitals, water treatment, telecom hubs, fuel pipelines, food cold-chain, emergency services) should be able to run as microgrids with local generation + storage.
-
Upgrade protection coordination: modern relays and settings so faults clear locally, not by tripping half a region.
A civilization-scale outage usually happens when problems cascade faster than operators can contain them.
-
Intentional islanding: Design the grid so sections can disconnect automatically and keep running locally instead of collapsing together.
-
More microgrids: Critical loads (hospitals, water treatment, telecom hubs, fuel pipelines, food cold-chain, emergency services) should be able to run as microgrids with local generation + storage.
-
Upgrade protection coordination: modern relays and settings so faults clear locally, not by tripping half a region.
3) Build lots of “black start” capability! (If the grid goes down, restarting is hard without generators that can start without external power.)
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Increase black-start resources: More black-start-capable plants plus battery systems and hydro where available.
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Regular black-start drills: Treat restoration like a fire drill... practice, measure, improve.
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Local restart pathways: Don’t depend on one or two giant restart routes.
-
Increase black-start resources: More black-start-capable plants plus battery systems and hydro where available.
-
Regular black-start drills: Treat restoration like a fire drill... practice, measure, improve.
-
Local restart pathways: Don’t depend on one or two giant restart routes.
4) Diversify energy sources and add storage. (not just for climate, also for survival)
Diversity makes it harder for any one failure mode to wipe everything out!
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Distributed generation: Solar/wind plus storage, small gas turbines, hydro, geothermal, etc.
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Grid-scale storage: Batteries for fast stabilization; longer-duration storage (pumped hydro, thermal, hydrogen, etc.) for multi-day resilience.
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Inertia and stability services: as grids add inverter-based resources, require “grid-forming” capabilities so they can stabilize frequency/voltage during disturbances.
Diversity makes it harder for any one failure mode to wipe everything out!
-
Distributed generation: Solar/wind plus storage, small gas turbines, hydro, geothermal, etc.
-
Grid-scale storage: Batteries for fast stabilization; longer-duration storage (pumped hydro, thermal, hydrogen, etc.) for multi-day resilience.
-
Inertia and stability services: as grids add inverter-based resources, require “grid-forming” capabilities so they can stabilize frequency/voltage during disturbances.
5) Modernize transmission and control systems:
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More sensors and visibility: Synchrophasors (PMUs), real-time line monitoring, transformer health diagnostics.
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Dynamic line ratings: Safely push power where you need it, reducing overload risk.
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HVDC where it makes sense: HVDC links can act like controllable “firebreaks” between regions and help prevent cascades.
-
More sensors and visibility: Synchrophasors (PMUs), real-time line monitoring, transformer health diagnostics.
-
Dynamic line ratings: Safely push power where you need it, reducing overload risk.
-
HVDC where it makes sense: HVDC links can act like controllable “firebreaks” between regions and help prevent cascades.
6) Treat cyber + physical security as grid reliability issues!
“Other calamity” often means cyberattack, insider risk, sabotage, or supply-chain compromise.
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Zero-trust architecture for control networks; strong segmentation between IT and OT.
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Manual fallback modes: Operators must be able to run essential functions safely if digital systems are degraded.
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Critical substation hardening: Physical barriers, cameras, rapid response, and redundancy for key nodes.
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Secure supply chains: Verify hardware/firmware, reduce single-vendor lock-in where feasible.
“Other calamity” often means cyberattack, insider risk, sabotage, or supply-chain compromise.
-
Zero-trust architecture for control networks; strong segmentation between IT and OT.
-
Manual fallback modes: Operators must be able to run essential functions safely if digital systems are degraded.
-
Critical substation hardening: Physical barriers, cameras, rapid response, and redundancy for key nodes.
-
Secure supply chains: Verify hardware/firmware, reduce single-vendor lock-in where feasible.
7) Plan for the uncomfortable scenario: long restoration!
This isn’t doom... this is engineering realism.
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Prioritized load-shedding plans: Keep water, heat, food logistics, and communications alive first.
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Fuel logistics resilience: Backup power for fuel pumping/refining and key pipelines.
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Public preparedness protocols: Clear “what to do” guidance reduces chaos and speeds recovery.
This isn’t doom... this is engineering realism.
-
Prioritized load-shedding plans: Keep water, heat, food logistics, and communications alive first.
-
Fuel logistics resilience: Backup power for fuel pumping/refining and key pipelines.
-
Public preparedness protocols: Clear “what to do” guidance reduces chaos and speeds recovery.
8) Governance: Require resilience, don’t just recommend it!
The grid is partly a technical system... and partly a policy system.
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Resilience standards with teeth: Set mandatory benchmarks for GMD preparedness, black start, spares, and cyber hygiene.
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Stress tests: Like banking stress tests... simulate extreme solar storms, coordinated attacks, and major equipment loss.
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Incentives aligned with resilience: Utilities should be rewarded for investments that reduce systemic risk, not just cheapest short-term power.
The grid is partly a technical system... and partly a policy system.
-
Resilience standards with teeth: Set mandatory benchmarks for GMD preparedness, black start, spares, and cyber hygiene.
-
Stress tests: Like banking stress tests... simulate extreme solar storms, coordinated attacks, and major equipment loss.
-
Incentives aligned with resilience: Utilities should be rewarded for investments that reduce systemic risk, not just cheapest short-term power.
The simplest way to summarize the strategy:
Harden critical hardware + segment the grid + add local self-sufficiency + practice restart + secure against cyber/physical threats... (And keep a spare “unobtainium” transformer ready!)
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Harden critical hardware + segment the grid + add local self-sufficiency + practice restart + secure against cyber/physical threats... (And keep a spare “unobtainium” transformer ready!)
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