I don’t know much about the power grid with respect to surge protection or EMP protection. As I said in my post, I’m confident in our lighting products holding fast during an EMP but don’t know what will happen to the electrical service that powers our products.
Most high voltage transmission lines like the 745,000 volt systems that AEP operates, one or two conductors are strung along the tops of the towers for lightning protection. What happens at a substation or generating plant I do not know.
GenPlants are grounded by default; they rest on the ground. All equipment is cross-grounded by driven anode-cathode pairs.
If they weren’t “grounded”, every bolt of C2G lightning would shut down the plant.