[rktman]

Barn door----horse. Squirrels are local. "Nation state" deployed EMP devices are not local. EMP available in, what 30 to 45 minutes? Unless we have a missile defense system to take out inbound................might offend someone? Hardening the grid? 20 years?

[GT Vander]

Way back in the early 80’s I was part of the old RDF, (Rapid Deployment Force), we got monthly sit-rep briefings even back then. Many of the “opening shot” scenarios began with the detonation of a FOB Nuke (Fractionally Orbital Bomb) configured for max EMP impact somewhere over the center of the US.

Here were are more than 30 years later and we're still more than vulnerable to such an attack.

[Buckeye McFrog]

“There are a lot of threats to the grid … from squirrels to nation states,”

And when those squirrels get the bomb, it'll be LIGHTS OUT!

[Ancesthntr]

Hopefully, this will actually be addressed by President Trump and his VP or Chief of Staff, Newt Gingrich (who authored the forward on a well-known book on EMP).
http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen/dp/0765356864/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463752581&sr=1-1&keywords=one+second+after

Apparently, it won’t take much more than about $20 billion to harden the power plants, and if they are kept up and running, then any EMP will have limited (though still severe) effects. If they are knocked out, then it is game over.

Also, something HAS to be done about the nuke plants - from what I understand (and I may be wrong, and hope that I am), the power to circulate the cooling water is drawn from an external source - i.e. not from the plant itself - so that if that source is cut off, and the diesel generators run out of fuel, then there’s no cooling and the plant goes super-critical shortly thereafter...and we have 400 nukes in this country, 400 potential Fukashimas.

Rest assured, Clinton will do NOTHING about this, guaranteed. Those #NeverTrump folks still out there should think about this when deciding what to do in November.

[Gritty]

After 40 or 50 years knowing about the threat they are just starting to figure this out?

[Wolfie]

WHy study something they don’t have the money or will to fix?

[JimRed]

Shielding is effective and not too expensive- for new gear. But retrofitting existing systems would be very costly.

Better to start taking out any unidentified device orbiting over U.S. airspace with ASATs, and upgrade our missile defenses.

[bgill]

Just a few decades late. Noticing they’re only looking at the obvious problem and not actually doing something about it.

[AllAmericanGirl44]

bkmk