Protecting The Electric Grid

This hearing by the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee examines the extent to which the electric grid may be vulnerable to the threats of solar weather or a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse. Protecting the electric grid is a monumental challenge, and the threats facing it are many and varied. The grid's physical infrastructure is necessarily spread throughout the nation and often cannot be protected from severe weather, sabotage or vandalism. Likewise, utilities themselves are encountering an enormous task in protecting their computer networks and fighting off cyberattacks. The threats of solar weather and high-altitude electromagnetic pulse are unique in that they can affect a vast region of the country. They may damage assets on the grid that are expensive, difficult and time-consuming to replace.

The National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure and supporting Action Plan establish a collaborative federal, provincial, territorial and critical infrastructure sector approach that will be used to strengthen critical infrastructure resiliency. To keep pace with the rapidly evolving risk environment, a key element of the national approach is an Action Plan that builds on the central themes of the National Strategy : sustainable partnerships with federal, provincial and territorial governments and critical infrastructure sectors; improved information sharing and protection; and a commitment to all-hazards risk management. ... This Plan sets out action items in the areas of partnerships, risk management and information sharing. Given the range, complexity and linked nature of these action items, a critical path is also detailed.

Protecting the electric grid : H.R. --------, the Grid Reliability and Infrastructure Defense Act : hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy and Power of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, first session, May 31, 2011.

How do you protect electrical systems from high energy electromagnetic pulses? This book completes the overview of systems and practices against EMPs from high altitude sources started with the previous "Protecting Electrical Equipment - Good Practices for preventing high altitude electromagnetic pulse impacts", including practical protection methods and means for evaluating their effectiveness.