Thanks for an enlightening response.
Wow. Only 2 or 3! I took an interest in this thread because I do engineering in the Power industry. If you have not read the book "One Second After" yet, it is right up your alley-an EMP strike on America. As realistic as an imagination can get. (I did not know about the commercial aircraft.)
If a small country like Iran or North Korea wanted to neutralize the United States, an EMP strike would be most economical and devilishly practical. But, could these wannabe rulers control the aftermath? No. Nor could they stop the inrushing nuc laden missiles from submarines and hardened silos.
As far as things up the sleeves, I know by plain logical extension that there are many. Black ops research has been going on for decades.
130 miles up is optimum. You could use an R-17, which is called a ‘Scud B’. They’ve been making them forever, which means you can get a hold of one pretty easily.
I’m sort of shocked it hasn’t happened yet besides Syria, an EMP or grid related attack.
Again, you’ll have pockets where the grid will survive, and anyone who hasn’t connected their generators to a distribution system should be OK.
Cars being transported by ferry might survive, for example. Submarines would make it, given water is a conductor and there is so much of it. The sub itself is an almost ideal faraday cage.
Naval ships not on shore power should be OK.
The issue, initially will be fixing the leaks in the distribution system. Insulation will be ‘punctured’ in many locations.