Would the United States Survive a Cyberattack-Induced Blackout?

(TNS) -- U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, recently examined how well prepared the United States is for a cyber-attack on the electrical grid.

The sub-committee heard testimony that states and localities should be prepared to face weeks, rather than days, of power outages following such an assault.

Barletta chaired a subcommittee hearing for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee titled: “Blackout! Are We Prepared to Manage the Aftermath of a Cyber-Attack or Other Failure of the Electrical Grid?”

Barletta’s subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management heard from government witnesses and electric utilities, who said that preparations have been made, but the threat from terrorists continues to evolve.

Among the utilities represented at the hearing were PPL Corporation and Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative.

“State and local governments, who are on the ground, will be the first ones charged with the protection of people and property,” Barletta said. “Whether it is a Category 5 hurricane hitting Miami or an 8.0 earthquake in Los Angeles, the federal government has realistic estimates or scenarios for states to plan. The federal government does not have this basic planning scenario for a cyber threat to the power system and there is a huge disparity in what different groups think is a potential scenario for which states and local governments should prepare.”

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