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’American Blackout’: Four Major Real-Life Threats to the Electric Grid
National Geographic ^ | 10/25/13 | Patrick J. Kiger

Posted on 10/27/2013 4:56:01 AM PDT by Libloather

A catastrophic, prolonged failure of the electrical grid—the sort of event whose effects are depicted in National Geographic Channel’s upcoming American Blackout, which premieres Sunday—may seem like just apocalyptic science fiction to some viewers. Unfortunately, though, the possibility of such a breakdown is all too real. (See related interactive: “Survive the Blackout.”)

Government and utility industry officials are so concerned, in fact, that in November, they will stage a massive emergency drill, called GridEx II, that will involve thousands of utility workers, business executives, National Guard officers, FBI antiterrorism experts and government officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. They’ll practice responding to a simulated failure of large parts of the electrical system across North America. (See related quiz: “What You Don’t Know About Electricity.”)

(Excerpt) Read more at energyblog.nationalgeographic.com ...


TOPICS: Canada; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; Mexico; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blackout; canada; electric; grid; iran; mexico; power; venezuela
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To: Libloather

The grid is old, overloaded, and vulnerable. And it’s getting older, more overloaded, and more vulnerable every day. But, of course, there are always those who will laugh at such concerns as being a commie conspiracy, or a muzzy conspiracy, or a fill-in-the-blank conspiracy,,,usually to take their guns away.


21 posted on 10/27/2013 7:30:49 AM PDT by chessplayer
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To: null and void; Libloather; ScubieNuc

I am betting that if NG would have made a movie say it 2000 about terrorist take over a passenger plane and crashing them into a large building in a magor metro area and causing such damage that they brought the building down many of the same people complaining on this thread would call it BS. In fact I bet half those complaining most like still say 9/11 is BS.

Anyone who thinks that a coordinated combination of physical and network attacks couldn’t result in significant and possibly devastating has their head up their out cute.


22 posted on 10/27/2013 7:56:51 AM PDT by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Kartographer

Shoot, did you mean chute?


23 posted on 10/27/2013 8:00:27 AM PDT by null and void (I'm betting on an Obama Trifecta: A Nobel Peace Prize, an Impeachment, AND a War Crimes Trial...)
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To: Libloather

Maybe this thing tonight on National Geographic will induce more people to prep. We are going to watch. Saw a 2 minute trailer on SHTFplan and it looks pretty intense.


24 posted on 10/27/2013 8:01:22 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: null and void

No I got it right, but I did mean ‘major’ not ‘magor’. ;-)


25 posted on 10/27/2013 8:03:45 AM PDT by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Kartographer

OK. I guess I just don’t know what an “out cute” is. I’ll look it up...


26 posted on 10/27/2013 8:05:48 AM PDT by null and void (I'm betting on an Obama Trifecta: A Nobel Peace Prize, an Impeachment, AND a War Crimes Trial...)
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To: norwaypinesavage

You need to keep up dude. Power grid failure is the number one concern at NASA where our nephew works. Its not if it will happen its when it will happen.


27 posted on 10/27/2013 8:10:21 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Libloather
Many had feared the biggest threat was from a direct hit from a solar flare or a coronal mass ejection, something that may have caused the famous Carrington event of 1859. A direct hit that strong would have destroyed most of the large transformers on the power grid, unless measures were taken to deliberately induce a blackout and cut the connection of the transformers to the power grid.
28 posted on 10/27/2013 8:11:40 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
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To: Kartographer

Anyone who thinks that a coordinated combination of physical and network attacks couldn’t result in significant and possibly devastating has their head up their out cute.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
For ‘proof’ look at the terror/panic etc the DC Bushwackers caused.

Two idiots that were so nondescript they were talking to detectives at the sight of one of their ‘attacks’ - WHILE the investigation was on going.

Of course two Blacks in an old, beat up Chevy, with a rifle mounted in the trunk with a ‘shooting hole’ paralyzed the area while LEO etal was chasing ghosts....White Male(s) in a White Van...or pickup...or SUV...or box truck....

I had and have thought that 5 or 6 such ‘coordinated’ teams could bring the country to its knees (at least a good portion of it).

Course ‘Occupy Wherever’ did a decent job of that and they were operating - for all practical purposes - in the open.

When they tore down the tents and picked up the ‘johnny-on-the-spots’, the spoiled lads and lasses figured Dad’s basement wasn’t that bad afterall.

But the ‘Officials’ kept playing ‘finger switch’ and dragged their collective feet rather than oust the clowns immediately.

‘They’ had absolutely no problem harassing a bunch of ‘crippled up OLD Vets’, while saying the OCCUIDIOTS were exercising their ‘rights’ to public land....hmmmm...


29 posted on 10/27/2013 8:13:13 AM PDT by xrmusn (6/98 --All incumbents must go. Complete turn over, House & Senate is needed.)
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To: asinclair
One "solution" being floated is to reduce our dependence on long-haul transmission lines, by building small plants closer to the consumers.

To my mind, a variant on open source power generation is the best long term solution, IOW what we had before the progressive control freaks created "public utilities."

30 posted on 10/27/2013 8:21:17 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (ZeroCare: Make them pay; do not delay.)
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31 posted on 10/27/2013 8:23:21 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Thanks Libloather.


32 posted on 10/27/2013 8:23:38 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: norwaypinesavage

From the link:

In March 2007, researchers at Idaho National Laboratories (INL) conducted an experiment labeled the Aurora Generator Test to demonstrate the results of a simulated cyberattack on a power network. In a video released by the Department of Homeland Security, a power generator turbine, similar to many now in use throughout the United States, is forced to overheat and shut down dramatically, after receiving malicious commands from a hacker.

The researchers at INL were investigating results of a possible cyberattack directed against a vulnerability that, reportedly, has since been fixed.[1]

The video, however, implied that other multiple power generators sharing similar cyber vulnerabilities could potentially be disabled the same way.

http://itlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Aurora_Generator_Test

Homeland is attempting to stir the pot - there’s a reason they’re attempting to turn into Obama’s private army... and fake claims give them power. This is an outrage.


33 posted on 10/27/2013 8:24:05 AM PDT by GOPJ ( We've grown to trust MSM hatred. When the MSM hates one of us it's an endorsement.)
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To: Libloather
How do you sign up for Husseincare without power?

Grid X is supposed to be in a couple weeks so it's perfect timing since the husseincare site is a broken mess.

34 posted on 10/27/2013 8:25:16 AM PDT by bgill (This reply was mined before it was posted.)
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To: Libloather

The biggest threat to our electrical grid is from the EPA shutting down coal fired plants and increasing our reliance on windmills for power generation. In February 2011 extreme cold in Texas led to a spike in electricity use. The electric utility companies didn’t have the resources to maintain service and as a result there were rolling blackouts. The much vaunted windmills that provide almost 20% of electric power in Texas could not supply the extra power and the coal and natural gas plants operating at the time were inadequate to meet the need. The EPA and Obama’s environmental policies are setting up the same scenario nationwide.


35 posted on 10/27/2013 8:31:26 AM PDT by The Great RJ
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To: MissMagnolia

During the coldest day of the year a couple years back, the experts decided they’d cut power for half an hour randomly around the area to save the extra power usage. What happened was they forgot to turn some areas back on and others blew transformers when they were turned on. Imagine that mess on a large scale.


36 posted on 10/27/2013 8:32:01 AM PDT by bgill (This reply was mined before it was posted.)
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To: centurion316
The government is shutting down coal fired power plants as quickly as they can

The UMWA, the miner's union, backed hussein in both elections never mind that he told them up front he was going to see them all closed down. Mind boggling.

37 posted on 10/27/2013 8:36:21 AM PDT by bgill (This reply was mined before it was posted.)
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To: Libloather

“U.S. utility companies already come under frequent attack from Internet hackers who continually try to infect utilities’ computer networks with malware and search for security flaws. One company alone told congressional investigators that it was hit with an astonishing 10,000 attacks in a typical month.”


Doesn’t even have to be China, Irran, or al-Qaaaedda. It could be some malcontent sitting in mommy’s basement who thinks it would be cool to bring the grid down.


38 posted on 10/27/2013 8:37:58 AM PDT by chessplayer
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To: ScubieNuc

Please explain the logic why after 9/11 there was a rush to replace chainlink fencing with brick walls around the little substations so no one could see in.


39 posted on 10/27/2013 8:39:11 AM PDT by bgill (This reply was mined before it was posted.)
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To: Libloather

The more technologically advanced we get, the odds of everything coming crashing down increases.

“In 2012 , three sections of India’s massive electrical grid collapsed, leaving 620 million people—nearly twice the population of the U.S.–without power for several hours in the biggest blackout in world history so far. (See related photos: “India Power Outage Darkens Cities, Stops Trains.”)

Could never happen, huh? Just fear-mongering, huh?


40 posted on 10/27/2013 8:44:15 AM PDT by chessplayer
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