What if our power grid suddenly went down? What would you do if everything in your world turned off?
If you think it’s something out of a sci-fi movie, think again. It’s closer to reality than you might think.
Widespread power outages are becoming more common. Some are due to the fact the grid can’t handle the higher demand. Others are due to natural disasters, and some are the result of physical attacks to substations.
These are not the only ways the grid could go down. Experts also warn of EMP attacks, cyberattacks, and solar flares.
All of these are serious threats to our already weak grid; a grid that has NOT been updated in decades.
This is especially alarming considering the power catastrophes of the last decade.
According to an article by the American Security Project published in 2012 (over 10 years ago), “The emergency response [to a massive power outage in the Washington DC area] was inadequate. Millions of people were left without power for several days, during a sweltering heat wave. Schools and businesses closed. Several people lost their lives in the last week and a half, both from the storm itself, and from heat-related illness. Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia, and Washington DC announced a state of emergency.”
The article goes on to say, “The recent disaster highlights the fragility of our nation’s electricity grid. […] The reason is that our electric grid is aging, under stress, and suffers from chronic underinvestment.”
Here’s the alarming truth: the electric grid has not been improved since then and is even weaker than before!
A Wall Street Journal report notes, “In 2000, there were fewer than two dozen major disruptions, the data shows. In 2020, the number surpassed 180. Utility customers on average experienced just over eight hours of power interruptions in 2020, more than double the amount in 2013, when the government began tracking outage lengths.”
The Washington DC disaster in 2012 was due to a major storm. However, there are many other threats to our already weak electric grid, including attacks.
But, again, this isn’t anything new.
In April 2014, there was a major attack on the electric grid in California, with snipers taking out 17 giant transformers funneling power to Silicon Valley.
Rebecca Smith reported, “It is an incident of which few Americans are aware. But one former federal regulator is calling it a terrorist act that, if it were widely replicated across the country, could take down the U.S. electric grid and black out much of the country. The attack was ‘the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the grid that has ever occurred.’”
Since then, things have gotten much, much worse.
Just last year, the FBI offered a $25,000 reward for anyone with information about three different attacks on electric substations in North Carolina.
It’s only a matter of time before the right storm or the right attacker takes down our very weak and fragile grid.
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Who Is to Blame?
The electric grid we have is old and outdated.
Many sections of the electric grid system were built just after World War II, and the smaller network of distribution systems, which brings power into homes and businesses, is several decades old.
For example, the American Society of Civil Engineers found that “70% of transmission and distribution lines are well into the second half of their expected 50-year lifespans.”
The older the grid gets without being updated, the weaker it becomes.
Additionally, we are using the grid more than ever before.
The grid is failing at the same time there is a huge push to electric cars, and we are more reliant on power in our homes.
For years now, Californians have had to accept rolling blackouts because the grid cannot handle its summertime energy needs.
But this isn’t a fix either.
As Forbes explains, “The electric grid’s infrastructure has deteriorated under the on-again-off-again strains and because providers lack the surplus to upgrade the equipment.”
Plus, the push to switch to renewable energy is making the grid even shakier as it goes on and off.
Don’t get caught off guard. Our Grid Doctor 2200 and Grid Doctor 300 Solar Generator Systems allow you to keep your home—and life—running as usual.
Whether a storm knocks the power out or the grid fails, you can keep your refrigerator running, be able to make food, and heat and cool your home.
Thanks to pass-thru charging, there’s no need to wait for a full battery with either of these solar generators.
Charge the generator while you use it to power your electric appliances and digital devices! This uninterrupted power supply allows you to keep essential electronics operational at all times.
Why We Should ALL Be Concerned
We take power for granted. At the same time, we’ve gotten used to the occasional blackout.
Most of us are even prepared for the yearly winter storm blackout or hurricane power outage. However, these common occurrences are very different from a nationwide grid failure.
When the grid goes down in a specific area of the country, neighboring counties and states can provide relief and help.
But, if the entire country lost power for several days, it would make COVID-19 seem like a kid’s show.
Everything we depend on relies on the electric grid, from banking to transportation to healthcare.
In fact, this is a scenario used in Survival Theory II: The Psychology of Human Desperation, Starvation, and Living Without Rule of Law.
“I have asked hundreds of healthcare workers, policemen, military members, firefighters, and other first responders, ‘What would you do if the electric grid was destroyed and chaos ensued?’ Most of them stated they would finish their shift and go home. […] Most said they would have reservations about showing up the next day for their shift. Most cited their reasoning that they wouldn’t be able to perform their job effectively without electricity. I always follow that up with, ‘What if things really started to fall apart after day two or three and there was some rioting and looting beginning to take place? Would you still consider going in to work?’ EVERY single person that I have ever asked that question has responded with an emphatic, ‘No!’”
One congressional report predicted that if America were to suffer an EMP attack, “the result could be to shut down the U.S. electric power grid for an indefinite period, leading to the death within a year of up to 90 percent of all Americans.”
You can learn even more about what will happen in the documentary, Grid Down, Power Up, hosted by Dennis Quaid. It’s worth the watch and goes into great detail about our fragile grid, how much we rely on it, and shows just how bad things will be if the grid goes down.
It’s one thing to read about the possibilities; it’s another to see a realistic visualization.
Some may call this fear-mongering, but it can’t be considered fear-mongering if the threat is real.
It Can Be Prevented, But…
It is possible to address the frailty of America’s electric grid. For instance, the military has protected its command centers for decades.
It’s possible, but pricey.
The ASCE report predicts that by 2029, “the U.S. will face a gap of about $200 billion in funding to strengthen the grid and meet renewable energy goals.”
It’s obvious no one wants to spend the money to update the grid. Our government doesn’t, and neither do the energy companies or utility companies.
Even more alarming is that the United States doesn’t even have a plan for dealing with the power grid.
Aaron Bloom, Executive Director of NextEra Energy Transmission, was quoted by RMI as saying, “The United States is the only macro grid in the world that doesn’t have a plan of any type.”
RMI followed his statement with, “Indeed, both the European Union and China have continental-/national-scale grid development plans. The United States does not.”
Moreover, there are several readily available solutions. We just need to push our legislators and regulators to take action.
Take the Power into Your Own Hands
[image of Grid doctor solar generators, both of them]
If the grid went down coast to coast in America, it would resemble the zombie apocalypse movies we’ve all watched.
Everything we depend on relies on the electric grid:
- All our municipal water systems are dependent on the grid.
- All our financial systems (ATMs, credit card machines, etc.) are dependent on the grid.
- All our grocery stores are dependent on the grid.
- All our transportation is dependent on the grid. Not only would traffic lights stop working, but gas stations would stop fueling, which would halt truck transportation.
Just imagine what that would look like!
Knowing the United States' fragile electric grid could go down any day makes us want to do something.
For starters, you should invest in the Grid Doctor 300 Solar Generator System and other emergency power supplies.
This powerful solar generator generates up to four times the power of other generators by connecting to two solar panels at once for up to 200W of power from the sun.
The best part: it utilizes the latest technology to charge your electric appliances and digital devices in a fraction of the time that standard chargers take.
When the rest of America goes dark, you’ll be able to light the way for over 100 hours!
In addition to its powerful LED lights, this generator has the ability to power your electric appliances and digital devices so your personal world can continue and not come to a screeching halt.
With the Grid Doctor 300 and Grid Doctor 2200 Solar Generator System, you can rest easy knowing your life won’t stop due to our nation’s weak grid.
Invest in emergency power supplies today, friends.
In liberty,
Elizabeth Anderson
Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply