Would it be possible for ONE POWER STATION to be the official “match’ to get the grid up and running in the event of an EMP attack? That station would have very large transformers on site - wrapped in chicken wire... and they’d have the means to start up their generators?
If not - why not?
Some areas may very well have such plans. As long as they aren’t installed they shoulx be ok. Same with generators and motors. This is the utility industry we are talking about, so while you CAN prep for this and come out ok, chances are they haven’t.
Nuclear blasts have E1, E2 and E3 components. They will vary depending on the device. The high frequency E1 pulses can damage the electronics including the power control systems. E2 are not really relevant. E3 are low frequency, less than 1 Hz, and picked up by long power lines like those from a solar storm. The protection of, and replacement of components from the E1 pulse is relatively simple, some shielding, some surge protection and lots of available replacements with a week or so of work.
The E3 is really the only thing to worry about since the blown transformers can't be quickly replaced. They can't be shielded, not by chicken wire or anything else because it is essentially DC and shields only work on AC.
The good news is that the E3 component will be small because the Nork bombs are small. E3 is created by the ionized fireball displacing the magnetic field. The ionized fireball won't be very large in the Nork's 30 kt bomb. Russia's 300 kt test 184 (1300 nT/min) was the best example, with some major grid damage but localized. A blast producing 5000 nT/min would leave 40% of the US without electrical power for 4-10 years, see http://www.futurescience.com/emp/test184.html
The Norks would need 30 times the yield and perfect device design to do that.
I have seen some substations in the US, generally in the midwest, with a transformer installed next to an operating transformer connected to distribution, but the spare is not connected at all.