[N0b8ez]

Anyone know of an estimate of the cost of hardening the US grid so that there wouldn't be an enormous death count, and likely societal collapse? The danger seems to be very real. See the paper discussed here:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40322870

[tigerlily]

Probably the cost of a gadget that detects the extra d.c. and injects and equal and opposite current to null it out, for every major power transformer in the land.

[maxerickson]

The typical protective device blocks the induced current from entering the transformer. "neutral-current-blocking capacitors".

Apparently more cautious operators have been busy installing them since at least 1989.

https://assets.lloyds.com/assets/pdf-solar-storm-risk-to-the...

[api]

Or just breaks the circuit, like a fuse. Better for the grid to fail in a way that can be recovered from quickly than for it to fail and burn itself to the point that recovery takes years.

[Arnt]

Starting a grid is complicated.