My local electric went out a while ago and it just made me wonder.
Would chaos erupt?
Or do you think things could be kept under control quite well?
How could people fix it?
2007-12-08 17:32:11 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
I don't think that a nation wide blackout is even possible, the grid is broken up considerably.
The only things that could even make this possible are:
1. Power plants all being destroyed
2. The earths magnetic poles reversing
3. George Bush declares a war on electricity
4. George Bush puts me in charge of energy (i'd push the wrong button, doh!)
2007-12-08 17:52:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Entire east coast went blackout in the 1970s. A relay switch in like ohio or indiana caused a power cascade that shut down the entire power grid for the northeast. There has been some re engineering of the grid, but a simple mechanical failure of a component, a main turbine or a steam co-gen, or even a gas peaker could do the same.
But. the grid connecting the US east of the Rockies is not connected to the grid supply west of the Rockies. So 2 failures nearly simultaneously would be needed to shut down the entire country.
There was no big panic. And there was a huge surge in births 9 months later.
Gotta find the problem to fix the problem. Solutions would take more or less time, but power could go up again in places within 48 hrs, depending on what and where in the grid.
2007-12-08 17:58:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the country would definitely be in a state of shock, but I doubt there would be chaos. I personally myself would be driving over to my friends parents house, where they do not use conventional electricity, if it was expected to be out for more than a few days. They literally live "off the grid" and use entirely alternative power for their home. I dont know how people would fix it....other than find the cause and have engineers resolve the issue. I also don't know what would cause it...but I'm sure there must be a way that it could happen.
2007-12-08 18:26:13 · answer #3 · answered by Somaesthesia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Critical infrastructure would stay operating on generator power, so would most datacenters, large officebuildings, hospitals, etc...
Not our microwaves of PS3s though...
The only thing that would cause this (indefinitely) would be destruction of all major power plants (or their machines' circuitry.)
Don't think I mean C4 destruction, I mean EMP bomb kind of business..
I suppose a bunch of EMP bomblets all over major cities could take the country down... but that's silly.
2007-12-08 17:40:25 · answer #4 · answered by bablshams 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sun spots, Solar flares. We would have a huge population spike 9 months later.
2007-12-08 18:29:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
POWER STATIONS ARE SET UP UNDER THE NATIONAL DEFENSE ACT??(1945) TO MAINTAIN ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE US STATES.
EACH CITY HAS AN EMERGENCY PROGRAM TO CONTROL OUTAGES AND TIME SPENT ON RESTORING POWER TO THE ECONOMY AND CITY.
A LOT OF THESE PLANS ARE NOW UNDER FEMA--FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND YOUR LOCAL CHAPTERS OF EMA'S.
2007-12-08 17:42:08 · answer #6 · answered by ahsoasho2u2 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Death Star, Get Shorty, Ricochet...
and the other assorted "benefits" of public utility privatization
2007-12-08 17:37:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
War.
2007-12-08 17:42:29 · answer #8 · answered by Simon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hackers, emp-bomb, storm-natural catastrophe, man error....
2007-12-08 17:45:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anarchy would be the by-product. Elite hackers might be able to do it.
2007-12-08 17:36:09 · answer #10 · answered by Arcanum Noctis 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋