Its not just EMPs and Nukes that can turn out the lights

[NorthernRaider]

nor is it strikes or shortages of fuel for generators....................how about terrorists ??????????? ..........and NOT using bombs...............

How about extremists or gun nuts simply shooting up sub stations, in this case they did sufficient damage to knock out the sub station for 17 days. Imagine the mayhem and chaos they could cause if they hit multiple sub stations, primarily because replacement transformers are not stocked in large numbers.

take out enough and chaos could last for months

"The attack on the Metcalf substation, south of San Jose, Calif., began after 1 a.m. April 16 by gunmen who took out 17 of the 20 giant transformers that funnel power to Silicon Valley. It took the utility almost a month to repair the substation; no one has been arrested in the incident"

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10...0589502828

[bigpaul]

I imagine a petrol bomb lobbed over the wall(by a terrorist or your local thug) could have much the same effect??

[bigpaul]

or the govt? by 2015 an industry spokesman said the spare generating capacity will be down to 2% and without future investment " the lights would start going out".

[Jonas]

How about a drunk driver taking out a power pole with his pick-up truck? It happened 3 blocks from us and no power for 24 hours...

[NorthernRaider]

Jonas in this country of well educated free spirits we get folks who try to steal copper power cables from sub stations and rail lines that are still live !!!,

[bigpaul]

but by the time the person is found they aren't-LIVE that is!