US Government Prepares for Devastating Solar Flare

The White House has begun taking serious measures against a cataclysmic event that could take place in the near future — an immensely powerful solar flare capable of wiping out electrical systems around the world. That’s a lot of solar energy.

After a narrow miss in 2012, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy estimates there is a significant chance the earth will sustain a direct hit from a powerful solar flare by 2022.

A Massive Solar Wind Storm

Although the sun produces solar wind — a stream of charged particles such as protons and electrons at speeds exceeding one million miles per hour — every second, most solar wind is deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field.

However, the massive burst of solar radiation known as solar flares can easily penetrate the Earth’s magnetic field, disrupting everything from Internet and cell phones to power supplies and financing systems worldwide.

And with the size of the storm NASA scientists are predicting, power systems worldwide could potentially be knocked out for months.

A Doomsday Scenario

In the United States alone, the material cost of such a storm is estimated at over two trillion dollars. Forget financing for NASA (or for your rooftop solar installation); a direct impact from a large solar flare could destroy everything from satellites and radio transmissions to credit cards, cell phone towers and national electrical power grids.

While there’s not much anyone can do to protect the Earth from solar flares, the US government has taken steps to mitigate the damage. NASA and other programs are trying to predict when the next big solar storm will occur in order to give affected agencies a proper warning. With a mere 15–60 minute advance warning before a solar storm hits, electrical providers will have to act fast to ensure minimal damage is caused by the extreme surge in voltage.

In the mean time, you might want to think about restocking the supplies in the old doomsday shelter. If nothing else, that investment in solar financing could keep your power running during such a crisis.

Natalie Benoy is a renewable energy writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Elements Capital Group. Follow on Twitter