A house RESOLUTION

 

TO RECOGNIZE MODERN SOCIETY'S RELIANCE UPON THE ELECTRICAL GRID AND THE HARM SOUTH CAROLINIANS COULD ENDURE IN THE EVENT OF AN EXTENDED DISRUPTION OF THE ELECTRICAL GRID DUE TO AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE OR SOLAR STORM AND TO ENCOURAGE THE SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION TO CREATE A DETAILED PLAN WITHIN THEIR CURRENT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN THAT INCLUDES BOTH STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO HARDEN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE OR A SOLAR STORM, AS WELL AS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES TO PROVIDE INDEPENDENCE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME SHOULD THE ELECTRICAL GRID BE INCAPACITATED, AND IN THE EVENT THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION UPDATES ITS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN TO INCLUDE FACTORS RELATED TO ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES OR SOLAR STORMS, THAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION BE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE THE UPDATED EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN THIS STATE.

 

Whereas, modern society is reliant upon the electrical grid in a manner inconceivable a century ago, as use of the electrical grid touches virtually every aspect of life, from transportation, utilities, communication, employment, food preservation, and safety, to critical life-saving and life-maintaining support in the form of access to daily medications and machines necessary for many to survive; and

 

Whereas, the citizens of South Carolina have endured extended disruptions caused by power outages from natural disasters; however, these disruptions could be minute on the scale of what could result from power outages resulting from an electromagnetic pulse, which may naturally occur through solar storms or may be intentionally created by adversaries intending to wreak havoc on our society; and

 

Whereas, the State has a compelling interest in protecting its citizens, including planning and preparing for known and unknown events that could restrict their ability to access electricity, potentially devastating their livelihoods and their way of life. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize modern society's reliance upon the electrical grid and the harm South Carolinians could endure in the event of an extended disruption of the electrical grid due to an electromagnetic pulse or solar storm and encourage the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to create a detailed plan within their current emergency preparedness plan that includes both steps to be taken to harden critical infrastructure from an electromagnetic pulse or a solar storm, as well as alternative energy sources to provide independence for an extended period of time should the electrical grid be incapacitated.

 

Be it further resolved by the House of Representatives, that in the event the South Carolina Emergency Management Division updates its emergency preparedness plan to include factors related to electromagnetic pulses or solar storms, that the Emergency Management Division be encouraged to provide the updated emergency preparedness plan to all municipalities in this State.

 

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