We, the undersigned Utah citizens support hardening our electric power grid and commercial air travel system against known solar flare threats, nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) effects and severe adverse weather.

We affirm that Hardening The Grid (HTG) against all known threats is “Providing for the Common Defence” and “General Welfare” as specified in the preamble to the US Constitution. As it is proper for citizens to petition for redress of grievances per the 1st Amendment’s declaration “… the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” we petition both our US and Utah Representatives and leaders to redress our common grievance that this needed defensive action (hardening the power grid to withstand solar or other known threats) has not been accomplished to date and call upon them to remedy this oversight as soon as practical.

We thankfully recognize Utah’s 2019 House Joint Resolution 14 (H.J.R. 14) passed with unanimous bipartisan support in both the House and Senate Committees and on the floor of the Utah House and Senate. We credit all Utah Legislators with recognizing the need to protect our essential power grid and specifically thank the Resolution’s sponsors Representative Lee Perry and Senator Lincoln Fillmore and then Speaker Greg Hughes for his public support of that resolution. View Here

We now earnestly call upon, and will earnestly watch for which Utah Representatives, leaders and citizens support legislation to actually do the work of making Utah the first State in the Union to harden and island its power supply and grid so our core distribution network can survive an EMP or solar event, similar to the Carrington Event (solar storm) of 1859. We now need a bill that will turn wrenches and protect infrastructure like the excellent resolution called for despite Federal inaction.

As this is a proper role of government, we do not wish to unduly burden electric utilities with the cost of this action, but understand the citizens and taxpayers of Utah and the US are properly burdened with the cost to harden our electrical system which is vital to providing for the common defense and promoting the general welfare.