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Terrorism and the Electric Power Delivery System (2012) / Chapter Skim
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8 Strategies for Securing Crucial Services and Critical Infrastructure in the Event of an Extended Power Outage
Pages 82-90

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From page 82...
... These organiza- flow of traffic in dense urban cores, pumps in the systems that tions range from major hospitals, most of which now have provide potable water supplies and sanitary sewer systems, regularly tested backup generators that can power critical and compressors in natural gas supply systems that may be systems in operating rooms and critical care facilities,2 to the fuel source for backup power systems or commercial financial institutions that must protect vital records and and residential heating and/or air conditioning systems. The financial transaction data, to process industries that must importance of functioning heating and cooling systems is keep production facilities, such as microelectronic fabrica- forcefully demonstrated by the deaths that occurred from tion lines or chemical plants, energized.
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From page 83...
... However, over time and with careful ter focuses specifically on the near- and long-term strategies planning, as local utilities need to add peaking capacity, it for securing crucial services and critical infrastructure in might be possible to locate small generating facilities so that the event of an extended power outage and provides recom- if and when the grid goes down, power can continue to be mendations on assessing and implementing these strategies. supplied to pumps or allow trains to get to stations (perhaps only a few at a time)
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From page 84...
... cyber services several days of fuel on hand. Television broadcast media Many stations have backup power systems with See classified version.
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From page 85...
... railroad crossings for system operations is uneven. Air traffic control, navigation, landing FAA rules require backup power systems for all See classified version.
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From page 86...
... NOTE: Some of these services, such as 911, emergency medical services, and en-route air traffic control, already have substantial backup. Many others, such as water and sewer systems, gas pumps, and cash machines, currently have no provisions for backup.
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From page 87...
... 7. While air traffic control is fully backed up and the Pittsburgh International Airport has substantial backup, the latter is not sufficient to operate the ramps at gates.
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From page 88...
... plans for critical services and infrastructure could serve as a deterrent to terrorist attack. The Pennsylvania study also suggested the following Many studies have looked at the potential reliability options, which might be pursued to encourage or require benefits of distributed generation resources and micro-grids public and nonprofit parties to improve the reliability of (Galvin Electricity Initiative, 2006; King, 2006; Lovins important social services (PA DEP, 2005, pp.
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From page 89...
... Thus, in the event of an outage of the incremental cost of trickle charge battery backup very wide extent and duration, the demand for large portable for traffic lights along key arteries in dense urban power sources could easily exceed supply. The committee cores, could be useful in this regard, as could a was unable to determine the status of planning for surge program that would help provide for more extended capacity for large backup power sources, for example the use backup of critically located cell towers.
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From page 90...
... Recommendation 8.1 The Department of Homeland Security and/or the Department of Energy should initiate Recommendation 8.6 DHS should perform, or assist other and fund several model demonstration assessments each at federal agencies to perform, additional systematic assessthe level of cities, counties, and states. These assessments ment of the vulnerability of national infrastructure such as should examine systematically the region's vulnerability to telecommunications and air traffic control in the face of extended power outages and develop cost-effective strategies extended and widespread loss of electric power, and then that can be adopted to reduce or, over time, eliminate such develop and implement strategies to reduce or eliminate vulvulnerabilities.
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Key Terms

  • critical infrastructure
  • crucial services
  • backup power
  • securing crucial
  • social services

  • extended power
  • power outages
  • power outage
  • critical services
  • battery backup

  • backup varies
  • traffic lights
  • traffic control
  • homeland security
  • air traffic

  • mellon electricity
  • charge battery
  • electricity industry
  • trickle charge
  • natural gas

  • building codes
  • grid power
  • critical social
  • power sources
  • private parties

  • vital services
  • emergency services
  • medical services
  • specific service
  • incremental costs


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