Geomagnetic Storms: Potential Economic Impacts on Electric Utilities

Conference · Wed Mar 20 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5952095

Barnes, Paul R. ^[1]; Van Dyke, J. W. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Geomagnetic storms associated with sunspot and solar flare activity can disturb communications and disrupt electric power. A very severe geomagnetic storm could cause a major blackout with an economic impact of several billion dollars. The vulnerability of electric power systems in the northeast United States will likely increase during the 1990s because of the trend of transmitting large amounts of power over long distance to meet the electricity demands of this region. A comprehensive research program and a warning satellite to monitor the solar wind are needed to enhance the reliability of electric power systems under the influence of geomagnetic storms.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5952095
• Report Number(s): CONF-910378-1; ON: DE91009523
• Resource Relation: Conference: 4. Annual Electric Utility Business Environment Conference and Exhibition, Denver, CO (United States), 20-22 Mar 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
58 GEOSCIENCES
BLACKOUTS
PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION
MAGNETIC STORMS
FORECASTING
SOLAR ACTIVITY
COST
DEMAND
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
OUTAGES
PLANNING
POWER SYSTEMS
SOLAR FLARES
SOLAR X-RAY BURSTS
SUDDEN IONOSPHERIC DISTURBANCE
SUNSPOTS
DISTURBANCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
IONOSPHERIC STORMS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
STARSPOTS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
Sunspot and Solar Flare Activity
Blackout
Power Grid Disruption
296000* - Energy Planning & Policy- Electric Power
640201 - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena