, such as voltage swings, unexpected loading due to transformers that are being affected, risk of voltage collapse in the more extreme cases, risks of false tripping of safety switches, and risk of heating in transformers that exceeds normal operating limits.
"Working closely with power grid operators, our federal partner, USGS, and the Canadian Hazards information service, we built a new level of resilience to the impacts of space weather on Earth,” said Clinton Wallace, Director of NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. “This model upgrade comes at the right time to provide the electric power industry better data to act on as activity on the Sun increases the closer we get to solar maximum.
"The notable improvements of the updated geoelectric field model in the U.S. have been made possible through enhanced ground-based geomagnetic monitoring at USGS, and a growing database of critical data,” said Kristen Lewis, USGS manager of geomagnetic operations. "The USGS values the intra-governmental and international scientific collaboration with NOAA and NRCan, and the updated model is the result of this successful partnership.