Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"The critical national infrastructure in the United States faces a present and continuing existential threat from combined-arms warfare, including cyber and manmade electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, as well as from natural EMP from a solar superstorm. [...] Protecting and defending the national electric grid and other critical infrastructures from cyber and EMP could be accomplished at reasonable cost and minimal disruption to the present systems that comprise U.S. critical infrastructure."

"Electromagnetic risks caused by a man-made EMP or a naturally occurring solar weather event could have a significant impact on the nation's electric grid as well as other infrastructure sectors that depend on electricity, such as communications. These risks could lead to power outages over broad geographic areas for extended durations. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal efforts to address electromagnetic risks to the electric grid. This report examines (1) the extent to which key federal agencies have taken action to address electromagnetic risks and how these actions align with the 2008 EMP Commission report recommendations, and (2) what additional opportunities exist to enhance federal efforts to address electromagnetic risks to the electric grid. GAO reviewed the EMP Commission report and federal program documents, and interviewed DHS, DOE [Department of Energy], and FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] officials and relevant stakeholders who provided insights on key actions taken. GAO recommends that DHS identify internal roles to address electromagnetic risks, and collect additional risk inputs to further inform assessment efforts; that DHS and DOE collaborate to ensure critical electrical infrastructure assets are identified; and engage with industry stakeholders to identify and prioritize risk-management activities, such as research and development efforts, to address EMP risks to the grid. DHS and DOE concurred with our recommendations and identified planned actions to address the recommendations."

"Space weather refers to the impacts solar activity can have on the space environment, including the propagation of material that can cause electromagnetic events on Earth. When the space weather is severe, it can cause a large-scale GMD [Geomagnetic disturbances] that may disrupt the reliable operation of the U.S. electric power grid. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine the availability of technologies that may mitigate the effects of large-scale electromagnetic events and the issues and challenges associated with the usage of such technologies. This report addresses: (1) what is known about the potential effects of GMDs on the U.S. electric grid; (2) technologies that are available or in development that could help prevent or mitigate the effects of GMDs; and (3) factors that could affect the development and implementation of these technologies."

From the Document: "An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) has the potential to disrupt, degrade, and damage technology and critical infrastructure systems. Human-made or naturally occurring EMPs can affect large geographic areas, disrupting elements critical to the Nation's security and economic prosperity, and could adversely affect global commerce and stability. The Federal Government must foster sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective approaches to improving the Nation's resilience to the effects of EMPs."

From the Summary: "Storm-induced blackouts of the electric power grid are suggestive of the possible consequences of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, such as could be made by rogue states or terrorists detonating a nuclear weapon at high-altitude over the United States. Electric power grid failure caused by storms cascade through other critical infrastructures--such as communications, transportation, emergency medical services, food and water supply systems. Storm-induced blackouts provide an objective basis for extrapolating judgments about the threat posed by EMP to the civilian infrastructures that sustain economic, political, and social life. [...] Storm-induced blackouts are localized and last usually no more than a day or two. Yet they can momentarily return part of our society to technological primitivism and begin cracks in the social order. Compared to storms, the consequences of an EMP attack would be far graver. Compared to the worst storms, an EMP attack would probably destroy infrastructures more completely within a region and over a much larger region--perhaps over the entire continental United States. An EMP attack, compared to the worst storms, would probably inflict more lasting damage--requiring perhaps weeks or months to repair."

"The United States critical national infrastructure faces a present and continuing existential threat from combined-arms warfare, including cyber and manmade electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, and natural EMP from a solar superstorm. [...] Protecting and defending the national electric grid and other critical infrastructures from EMP can be accomplished at reasonable cost and minimal disruption to the present systems that comprise our critical infrastructure; all commensurate with Trump Administration plans to repair and improve U.S. infrastructures, increase their reliability, and strengthen our homeland defense and military capability."

"The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack has provided a compelling case for protecting civilian infrastructure against the effects of EMP and geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) caused by severe solar storms. Similar to protecting critical infrastructure against any hazard, it will be important to take a risk-based priority approach for these two electromagnetic threats, recognizing that it will be fiscally impracticable to protect everything. In this regard, EMP and solar storms are particularly challenging in that they interfere with electrical and electronic data, control, transmission, and communication systems organic to nearly all infrastructures, simultaneously, over wide areas. The affected geographies maybe continental in scale. These events thus represent a class of high-consequence disasters that is unique in coverage and ubiquitous system debilitation. Such disasters deserve particular attention with regard to preparedness and recovery since assistance from non-affected regions of the nation could be scarce or nonexistent. At first blush, the problem of where to begin in developing a national protection program seems overwhelming. Despite the challenges posed by such an endeavor, it is the purpose of the present work to suggest that such a program is possible and affordable based on a system priority approach."

"Extreme electromagnetic incidents caused by an intentional electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack or a naturally occurring geomagnetic disturbance (GMD, also referred to as 'space weather') could damage significant portions of the Nation's critical infrastructure, including the electrical grid, communications equipment, water and wastewater systems, and transportation modes. The impacts are likely to cascade, initially compromising one or more critical infrastructure sectors, spilling over into additional sectors, and expanding beyond the initial geographic regions. EMPs are associated with intentional attacks using high-altitude nuclear detonations, specialized conventional munitions, or non-nuclear directed energy devices. Effects vary in scale from highly local to regional to continental, depending upon the specific characteristics of the weapon and the attack profile. High-altitude electromagnetic pulse attacks (HEMP) using nuclear weapons are of most concern because they may permanently damage or disable large sections of the national electric grid and other critical infrastructure control systems. [...] For these reasons, the potential severity of both the direct and indirect impacts of an EMP or GMD incident compels our national attention. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been actively analyzing the risk of the EMP-GMD problem set since its inception. The Strategy for Protecting and Preparing the Homeland Against Threats of Electromagnetic Pulse and Geomagnetic Disturbances (hereafter referred to as the 'DHS Strategy') represents the Department's first articulation of a holistic, long-term, partnership-based approach to confronting this challenge."

"Electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) are intense pulses of electromagnetic energy resulting from solar-caused effects or man-made nuclear and pulse-power devices. Of these, nuclear EMP has the most ubiquitous effects because of the combination of its broadband nature and large area coverage. Nuclear EMP has the demonstrated potential to disrupt, damage, or destroy a wide variety of electrical and electronic equipment. The strength and area coverage of nuclear EMP environments depends on the warhead type and yield, and the altitude and latitude of the detonation. A nuclear device detonated at altitudes between 30 and 400 kilometers generates an EMP with amplitudes in the tens of kilovolts per meter with a radius of effects from hundreds to thousands of kilometers. This high-altitude EMP (also known as HEMP) effect couples to and can disable electrical and electronic systems in general, but poses the highest risks to long-line networks, including electric power and long-haul communications. Although an EMP is also generated by low altitude or surface bursts (referred to as source region EMP or SREMP), the affected area is localized compared to a HEMP. For this reason, this action plan focuses on larger-scale EMP events produced by high altitude detonations."