Surviving a Catastrophic Power Outage: How to Strengthen the Capabilities of the Nation   [open pdf - 2MB]

"The nation has steadily improved its ability to respond to major disasters and the power outages that often result. But increasing threats--whether severe natural disasters, cyber-physical attacks, electromagnetic events, or some combination--present new challenges for protecting the national power grid and recovering quickly from a catastrophic power outage. The President's National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) was tasked to examine the nation's ability to respond to and recover from a catastrophic power outage of a magnitude beyond modern experience, exceeding prior events in severity, scale, duration, and consequence. Simply put, how can the nation best prepare for and recover from a catastrophic power outage, regardless of the cause?"