Citing today’s unusual geopolitical instability, the EIS Council has published a list of immediate protection options for power companies and other critical facilities to consider to protect themselves against the impacts of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

Some of the options include pre-deploying equipment, including spares for vulnerable components, mobile shortwave and low-band VHF radios, rechargeable battery packs, and computers; inserting power-cable surge protectors for critical computer-based equipment (e.g., relays and SCADA); assisting critical employees with acquiring backup supplies and providing them guidance on where to meet after an incident; and installing emergency standby generators and topping them off with fuel, among others. The EIS Council, which is a WaterISAC partner and has published a series of “EPRO Handbooks” that describe best practices for a variety of hazards (including EMP), emphasizes the list comprises urgent, low cost, immediate protective steps power companies and other critical facilities may consider taking. It notes that while some facilities have invested in comprehensive EMP protection, most have not yet done so. As described in this WaterISAC posting from November 2021, an EMP incident affecting the U.S. could have devastating effects on critical infrastructure. The EMP could be triggered by a nuclear explosion, including one high in the atmosphere. While the water and wastewater sector would likely experience some direct impacts from an EMP, the electric grid would be among the hardest hit of all critical infrastructure. Water and wastewater utilities, therefore, would have to contend with long duration electric grid outages.