Threats to Grid Infrastructure
Dave Angelini
Solar Expert Posts: 6,391 ✭✭✭✭✭
Last nights Coast to Coast AM had a great guest on who is actually doing something. More later but here are the show notes.
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Producer David Tice recently completed a documentary about the vulnerability of our power grid, entitled "Grid Down, Power Up" (view excerpt). In the first half, he discussed how government and industry have grown complacent about how the critical civilian infrastructure is vulnerable to attack from various forces. These threats include physical attacks (like the recent gunfire at two substations in North Carolina), cyber warfare, EMP attacks, and geomagnetic disturbances from a solar storm. Major solar storms, like 1859's Carrington Event, are predicted to happen every 100-150 years, he noted. The late Peter Pry of the EMP Taskforce warned of 'Blackout Wars' where adversaries might combine multiple forms of attack, he added.
While countries such as Iran and Israel have protected their infrastructure grids, why hasn't the United States? Tice blamed it on various factors including disorganization, ineptitude, fear of reimbursement on the money side, concern about putting in new technology that might disrupt the system, and a belief that nothing bad will happen or wanting to keep the status quo. He estimated that it would cost the US between $50-100 billion for protection of varying degrees. Lloyd's of London has concluded that a Carrington-type event is inevitable in our future, and the big problem will be replacing burned-out transformers. Tice also talked about water issues, and the devastation that might occur if municipal water systems were knocked offline.
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Comments
Places like Iran and Israel seen conflict in everyday life. It's a blessing and a curse.
- Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
A blessing and a curse also when the cost is small to get this protection, or to at least plan for it. Especially the millions who would die.
Cheery thoughts !
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NV Energy Files Plan to Advance Nevada's Energy Independence
Dear Valued Customer,
The past several summers have shown that extreme, western region heatwaves are becoming the new normal. While NV Energy is prepared to deliver energy to our customers when temperatures are in the triple digits, this can’t always be said for other western states. California’s energy demand and regulatory changes they have implemented consistently put our summer reliability at risk by reducing the amount of energy available to other states across the west, including Nevada.Yesterday, we filed a plan with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada requesting their approval to advance Nevada’s energy independence by reducing our reliance on the open energy market by having more energy generation located in Nevada and increasing renewable energy development by using the great geothermal resources we have in our state.
This plan will help ensure we have enough energy to meet high demand on hot summer days by adding Nevada-based energy generation and storage capacity to serve our customers and by making upgrades to our transmission system to accommodate more renewable energy. We are seeking approval for 140 megawatts of around-the-clock geothermal energy, which is enough energy to serve nearly 30,000 homes; a 200-megawatt battery energy storage system in northern Nevada; and 440 megawatts of highly efficient natural gas peaking units at the Silverhawk Generating Station outside of Las Vegas. These peaking units, which can generate enough energy to power nearly 85,000 customers at once, will only be used to maintain system reliability during times of intense energy demand. They will also provide the flexibility necessary to maximize the use of renewable energy and have the capability of running on hydrogen, a non-carbon fuel.
Reliable power is essential to the lives of our customers and the economy, especially when temperatures reach triple digits. The plan we filed outlines the next steps to achieving our vision for Nevada’s energy independence - ensuring you have affordable power when you need it while meeting our state’s renewable and clean energy goals.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve your energy needs.
Sincerely,
Doug Cannon
NV Energy President and CEO
This email was auto generated. Please do not reply.
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Some sanity... if the news was for real.
This is all good news to me as long as somebody in our government looks into hardening the grid as well as expanding it intelligently!
My sister gets mad at me because I think that a hardened grid is more important (far more important) than her latest politics.
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PG&E Offers $250K Reward for Info on Substation Attack
PG + E still has a reward out on this unsolved high power rifle attack. You don't even nee cans of gasoline.....
https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/pge-offers-250k-reward-for-info-on-substation-attack
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Frankly, a stray round or ricochet during hunting season has always been a concern of mine. There are some absolute idiots out there who have no idea what's in the direction they are shooting. But when it comes to damage to infrastructure that's no accident.