WE SHOULD BE HARDENING OUR SYSTEMS: GAO: Solar storm ‘blackout’ of electric grid could last 3 days to 2 years, impact 40 million.

The federal government is escalating its warnings about threats to the U.S. electric grid, the latest in a just-released congressional report that indicates a national blackout from a solar storm hit could last from three days to two years, impacting some 40 million.

The Government Accountability Office, Congress’ auditor, also said that the national electric grid system is still in need of protection from solar weather and a nuclear attack.

“When the space weather is severe enough, it can cause a large-scale geomagnetic disturbances that could disrupt the reliable operation of the U.S. electric power grid,” said the GAO report titled, Critical Infrastructure Protection: Protecting the Electric Grid from Geomagnetic Disturbances.

The system should be harder, less centralized, and more resilient.