The federal government is escalating its warnings about threats to the U.S. electric grid, the latest in a just-released congressional report that indicates a national blackout from a solar storm hit could last from three days to two years, impacting some 40 million.





The Government Accountability Office, Congress’ auditor, also said that the national electric grid system is still in need of protection from solar weather and a nuclear attack.

“When the space weather is severe enough, it can cause a large-scale geomagnetic disturbances that could disrupt the reliable operation of the U.S. electric power grid,” said the GAO report titled, Critical Infrastructure Protection: Protecting the Electric Grid from Geomagnetic Disturbances.

While two other recent reports, including one from a presidential commission, have warned of a potentially catastrophic blackout that could lead to the deaths of millions, the GAO said that there is no consensus on the punch America would take in a big solar storm. It also noted that there is little history of solar storm hits in the U.S., though it cited a 1989 blackout in Quebec that lasted nine hours and impacted 6 million.

It did quote reports that gave a huge range.

On the short side, it quoted the North American Electric Reliability Corporation which said, “blackouts that originate in the transmission grid in the absence of substantial equipment damage are generally restored within three days and often much sooner.”





On the longer end, it quoted an insurance industry report that warned of a blackout “lasting between 16 days and two years” and impacting “20 million to 40 million people.”

The GAO also spelled out the potential damage and impact on everyday life in a “blackout” or “black sky” situation. It said:

“A large GMD might have long-term, significant impacts on the nation’s electric grid. Given the interdependency among infrastructure sectors, such a disruption to the electric grid could also result in potential cascading impacts on fuel distribution, transportation systems, food and water supplies, and communications and equipment for emergency services, as well as other communication systems that utilize electrical infrastructure.”