Solar superstorm could kill millions, cost trillions

chicagotribune.com - Deborah Zabarenko - August 3rd, 2012

A monster blast of geomagnetic particles from the sun could destroy 300 or more of the 2,100 high-voltage transformers that are the backbone of the U.S. electric grid, according to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Even a few hundred destroyed transformers could disable the entire interconnected system.

There is impetus for a group of federal agencies to look for ways to prepare for such a storm this year as the sun moves into an active period called solar maximum, expected to peak in 2013.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/03/us-solar-superstorm-idUSBRE8721K820120803