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What’s Really Going On With The Power Grid?

I’ve been concerned about the state of our power grid for years, but the recent solar flare scare (and this discussion on EMP effects) got me to thinking about it even more. The sad truth is that our power grid is quite vulnerable to many problems, including severe weather, domestic terrorism, and cyberattacks.

The following video talks about just how interconnected the grid truly is, particularly how digitally connected it is. Although this makes the grid more efficient is some ways, it also makes us vulnerable to problems like cyberattacks. (This is something I discuss at length in my book, Why We Prepare.)

Add in the power demands of data centers and AI along with an aging power grid, and it’s only a matter of time before a simple cyberattack or another downed power line causes real problems for millions of Americans.

While I’ve jumped ahead to about the 3:30 mark to get to the heart of the discussion, I recommend you pay attention from then on because they start by talking about a real hypothetical scenario, move on to some startling statistics about cyberattacks (at about the 12:10 mark) on critical infrastructure, and then they go off on a lot of tangents about how to live without electricity, but it’s all still good to watch. Enjoy!

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Disaster Planning / EDC, Solar / Power / Energy

Damian Brindle

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One response to “What’s Really Going On With The Power Grid?”

GregE

Dec 10, 2025

Good refresher on grid down scenarios particularly in reference to how much we have become dependent on reliable electricity, less than a century ago it wasn’t so important as we still had manual cash registers and your friendly bank could still deal with cash (most of ours have closed). There is a lot to be said for developing an independent mindset so if you live in a city then perhaps pedal power for short trips might be a useful backup and if it has an electric assist then some spare solar panels could be used to charge it? Most solar panels used in residential situations are grid tied which means they won’t work if the grid fails so back up with a camping setup that is independant.
In all cases the primary rule is make sure you always have more than one way to handle basic tasks and try not to create critical bottlenecks anywhere, this is where having camping gear is useful as it can provide backup if needed, remember those foul-smelling chemical camping toilets? As far as transport is concerned, I have always been intrigued by an old treatise on the Aeropleustic Art (I think) where a West Country teacher arranged a race between 3 carriages of different sizes drawn by kites between Bath (or Bristol) and London in the early 1800s, the account is quite a good read and I’ve often wondered if you could use a kite or parasail to draw a ute along a fairly flat road? Highly illegal in most places and overhead wires would be a problem nowadays! Anyhow, it was a good reminder to have a good look around your home and confirm that you can deal with basic living requirements with the power turned off, I did see a video once of a family who decided to go without power for a few days (or perhaps only a weekend) to see how they coped and I think from memory the biggest challenge was keeping the younger members entertained!

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What’s Really Going On With The Power Grid?

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One response to “What’s Really Going On With The Power Grid?”

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