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Imagine losing power not just for hours, but for weeks—or even a month. That’s no longer science fiction. Our electric grid, a vast network of aging infrastructure and decades‑old software, is increasingly vulnerable to everything from wildfire-induced shutdowns to state-sponsored cyberattacks.
Nowhere is this more real than in Northern California, where PG&E serves over 5 million customers. Let’s break down why we’re so at risk, and why local resilience isn’t just smart, it’s essential.
The U.S. grid still relies on SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems and protective relays from the ’70s and ’80s. These often lack modern cybersecurity safeguards or manual backups putting them at risk for cyberattacks.
In 2015 and again in 2016, Russian-linked cyber groups (Sandworm) remotely disrupted substations in Ukraine—shutting off power to hundreds of thousands and damaging physical equipment. Similar malware—like Industroyer—is designed specifically to cripple industrial control systems.
Recent reports show PG&E’s systems have been breached—notably exposing 30,000 critical cyber‑asset records in 2016, including IP addresses and access credentials. In 2019, physical attackers disabled SCADA systems and damaged communications at a PG&E substation near San Jose.
Northern California has endured devastating wildfires—most infamously the Camp Fire in 2018, which started when a worn PG&E transmission hook sparked across dry brush, killing 85 and costing $16 billion. As climate change intensifies, California faces more extreme heat, prolonged drought, severe winds, and flash floods—all putting extra strain on aging grid assets.
To prevent wildfires, PG&E has resorted to Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)—cutting power to over 2 million customers in October 2019 alone, impacting Northern California for days. These preemptive blackouts underscore how fragile our centralized grid has become.
Russia has explicitly tested its ability to target critical infrastructure. In the 2015–16 Ukraine cyberattacks, Sandworm used SCADA-targeted malware to shut down power for hundreds of thousands. U.S. intelligence later revealed Russian GRU-linked hackers probed American energy networks for years—some operations traced to the same actors.
Across the Atlantic, the UK and Scandinavian countries now plan for Russian cyberattacks that could “turn the lights off." These are not theoretical threats—they’re ongoing risks in a cyber-frontier war.
Advances in AI now make it feasible for anyone to orchestrate attacks against the grid. Imagine malware that identifies vulnerabilities, crafts targeted hacks, and coordinates physical sabotage in your local substation—all orchestrated remotely. Security experts are warning that modern AI could enable a new breed of domestic terror attacks on utilities, as cyber-intrusions occur “once every four days” on average. The threat is real—and growing.
The centralized grid may withstand minor outages, but it’s not built for sustained failure. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of disruptions. Nation‑state hack threats are intensifying. And technology that once kept us safe now exposes us in new ways.
The result? A real possibility of prolonged outages—spanning a week, weeks, or even a month.This is where Reddy comes in. Modular microgrids and “resilience hubs” offer decentralized, secure power that works day-to-day—and holds firm when the grid fails.
