How Would a Nuclear EMP Affect the Power Grid?

How a nuclear blast in the upper atmosphere could disable the power grid. The bundle deal with Curiosity Stream has ended, but you can still get a great discount on Nebula and support Practical Engineering here: Correction: 10:32 I meant to say “earth’s magnetic field,“ not “earth’s gravity.“ Correction: A previous version of this video included a segment where I used a doorbell transformer to demonstrate core saturation. That model did not correctly demonstrate the phenomena I was describing, so I cut it from the video. This video is a summary of the EPRI study on the impacts that a high-altitude nuclear electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) would have on the US power grid. It’s the first in a deep-dive series of videos about large-scale threats to the grid. EPRI Study: Practical Engineering is a YouTube channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. It is hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos! CONNECT WITH ME ____________________________________ Website: Twitter: Instagram: Reddit: Facebook: ​ Patreon: SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIES ____________________________________ Please email my agent at practicalengineering@ DISCLAIMER ____________________________________ This is not engineering advice. Everything here is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Contact an engineer licensed to practice in your area if you need professional advice or services. All non-licensed clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. SPECIAL THANKS ____________________________________ This video is sponsored by Nebula. Stock video and imagery provided by Getty Images, Shutterstock, Pond5, and Videoblocks. Music by Epidemic Sound: Tonic and Energy by Elexive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License Source: Producer/Writer/Host: Grady Hillhouse Editor: Wesley Crump Production Assistant: Josh Lorenz Script Editor: Ralph Crewe Background Painting: Josh Welker Graphics: Nebula Studios