What Would Happen If The majority Of Our Transmission System Was Destroyed

What does the plague of problems with the Pilgrim nuclear plant recovering their off site power mean?

The great 1938 hurricane and does our grid transmission engineering codes take into consideration our climate and climate change. Our transmission system isn't designed for our climate and future climate.  

Extreme Wind Speed Region in New England and New York

P.Jayachandran M.ASCE, Brian M. Reynolds, P.E.b and Mark S. Browne, P.E.b

Worcester Polytechnic Institute,100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA, 01609

National Grid, 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, MA 02451-1120

Abstract "The extreme wind speed region for New York and New England is described in this paper. The wind speed data from the National Climatic Data Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the US National Meteorological Service are analyzed using software from NIST to develop the probability distribution functions. Contours were drawn for extreme wind speeds and their corresponding mean recurrence interval in a map and data for the New York and New England region. Gumbel Type I distribution model is used to predict probability of any unknown wind speed exceeding observed wind speeds. Recommendations are made to use these wind speeds in design of transmission line systems. Present National Grid US Transmission (UST) wind speed design standards follow the basic wind speeds denoted by the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). Wind speed design requirements are most extreme along the sea coast lines and gradually taper off at points more inland. The minimum basic wind speed is 90 mph on a 3 second gust interval (See Figure 1). The area highlighted in red is denoted as a “Special Wind Region” by the NESC. The NESC provides no guidance on wind speeds in this area other than to recommend regional wind studies be performed as part of design.'' 

The minimum design of our electric transmission system is 90 MPH for 3 seconds...around the Pilgrim nuclear plant it is 110 mph. In Pre Katrina Entergy designed their transmission system for 150 MPH and at 130 MPH the wind severely damaged it.

How high a gust of wind would destroy our transmission system? Do our grid transmission codes take into consideration our climate and project future climate change...wind speed as an example? As is, all they look at is in the rear mirror of our historical meteorological record...they don't take into consideration our future climate change. Generally this is done in order to save construction cost. 

Can you even imagine the impact to NE if a hurricane destroyed a significant proportion of our societal backbone...our electricity transmission system? Potentially millions of people and business would be without electricity well into winter...let alone, all the economic damage. What would be the worst hurricane strike that would destroy the most transmission assets?

Our transmission system is particularly vulnerable because it is based on 50 year old obsolete engineering codes and most of the transmission system is 50 years old, obsolete and degraded...