The federal government’s new focus on preventing disaster in a natural or terrorist electromagnetic pulse attack is drawing attention to a lack of testing and preparation at the nation’s nuclear power plants, where a resulting meltdown—At long last . . . Hope springs eternal! Read Full Story
“A single nuclear weapon detonated at high altitude over this country would collapse our electrical grid and other critical infrastructure and endanger the lives of millions. With North Korea in possession of nuclear missiles and Iran close to having them, an EMP is no longer a theoretical concern — it is a real threat. Moreover, China and Russia include sabotage as part of their warfare planning. Nonetheless, hundreds of electrical utility in the U.S. have not acted to protect themselves from EMP and they cannot be expected to do so voluntarily since homeland security is a government responsibility. The President, the Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the States, the utilities and the private sector should work together on an urgent basis to enact Republican legislation, pending in both chambers, to protect the national grid and encourage states to take the initiative to protect their own grids expeditiously.” ~ Republican Party Platform—July 18, 2016 Read Full Story
“An electromagnetic (EM) attack (nuclear electromagnetic pulse [EMP] or non-nuclear EMP [e.g., high-power microwave, HPM]) has the potential to degrade or shut down portions of the electric power grid important to the DoD…. Restoring the commercial grid from the still functioning regions may not be possible or could take weeks or months.” Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Press Release, June 24, 2016
“Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all. A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor.” ~ Proverbs 22: 2-4. Read Full Story
Assuring the survival and assured restart capability of our nuclear power reactors should be a top priority objective of all who seek to counter the existential threat to the electric power grid posed by Cyber or Physical attack or from manmade or natural EMP threats. We are working with Duke Energy, the largest U.S. power company, to conduct a pilot study to demonstrate just such a capability. Read Full Story
If the electric power grid fails for an extended period because of a natural or manmade electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—or from other threats such as physical or cyber attacks, the nation’s nuclear power plants are both: 1) A serious additional hazard to all Americans if not protected—and alternatively, 2) If they are protected, an important aid for recovering the electric grid. Read Full Story
The nation’s nuclear power plants are both: 1) A serious hazard to all Americans if not protected—and alternatively, 2) If they are protected, an important countermeasure because they can play a major role in recovering the electric grid if it fails from either a natural or manmade electromagnetic pulse (EMP) event—or from other threats, such as from physical or cyber attacks. Read Full Story
“I believe it is the duty of each of us to act as if the fate of the world depended on him. Admittedly, one man by himself cannot do the job. However, one man can make a difference. We must live for the future of the human race, and not for our own comfort or success.” ― Hyman G. Rickover Read Full Story
We will be adding key policy briefs as we progress.