Ep 13 – Lights Out

Episode 13 - "Lights Out" What do airports, water treatment facilities, gas stations, and espresso machines all have in common? A dependence on a reliable and stable network of power generation and distribution. In America, and around the world, our electrical grids are aged, stressed, and increasingly at risk of attack. Worse, the centralization and increased interdependence of these grids mean the risk for large-scale failure has never been greater. If we don't act quickly, the next time the lights go out, they may not turn on again. Chapters 00:00 Preshow 00:45 What is the Grid? 01:58 Some History 03:53 The Grid Today 05:27 Foliage 07:45 Renewable: Difficulties 09:40 Renewables: Subsidies 12:06 Energy Storage 14:37 Transformers: Ageing 16:25 Transformers: Raw Materials 17:19 Transformers: Lead Time 19:53 Critical Substations 21:04 Physical Threats 21:29 Physical Threats: Liberty 22:54 Physical Threats: Metcalf 27:33 Transformers: Spares in Reserves? 29:47 Cyber Threats 31:42 Ukraine Cyber Attack 35:09 Incentives for a Cyber Attack 38:21 How Will War Begin? 39:56 What happens when the Lights go Off? 42:15 Electromagnetic Pulse 43:06 Solar Threat 44:04 Carington Event 46:28 1989 Geomagnetic Storm 48:04 Bureaucracy 48:29 What Can we Do? 55:21 Wrap up A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast. CC BY-SA 4.0