Uninterrupted Electric Power

Abstract

Given the importance of reliable and uninterrupted electrical power in the United States (Philip H. Abelson, Editorial, [19 Jan., p. 273][1]) and throughout North America, we believe that more effort needs to be made to provide warnings of geomagnetic disturbances, which have had an increasing impact on technology systems such as electric grids as these systems become more sophisticated. Reliable advance warnings would give those who are affected by these storms the ability to prepare for them. This is the consensus of a joint commerce, research, and military task force under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation convened to formulate a “National Space Weather Program Strategic Plan.” The plan's 1995 executive summary ([1][2], p. 5) notes that > The Nation's reliance on technological systems is growing exponentially, and many of these systems are susceptible to failure or unreliable performance because of extreme space weather conditions. We now have the scientific knowledge and the technical skills to move forward to dramatically improve space weather understanding, forecasts, and services to meet customer needs. The United States is now undertaking a multi-agency space Weather Initiative to provide early warning of impending space disturbances. This has the goal of devising methods to avoid power system failures and other effects of the space environment on human technological systems. We urge cooperation in the development of such methods to avoid catastrophic failures in power systems. Such warning methods could save billions of dollars each year. 1. 1.[↵][3] Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meterological Service, National Space Weather Program Strategic Plan (FCM-P30-1995, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 1995). [1]: /lookup/volpage/273/273 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text