Senate Energy panel hears resolution urging action on geomagnetic and EMP threats to the grid

Senator Johnson presented sponsor testimony for Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 urging Congress, the governor, PJM and other regulators to invest in planning and measures that protect Ohio’s interconnected grid from naturally occurring geomagnetic disturbances and potential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threats.

Johnson framed the resolution as nonpartisan public-safety and infrastructure resilience policy, citing historical natural events and concerns about man-made EMP weaponry. He said federal and state agencies, the Government Accountability Office and private-sector partners have identified obstacles—aging components, supply-chain constraints for transformers, physical and cybersecurity threats, and inconsistent planning across jurisdictions—that increase vulnerability.

Johnson recounted national and international context and warned of cascading effects from long-duration power losses affecting transportation, health care, financial services and other critical systems. He described technical resilience measures such as microgrids, black-start and islanding capabilities, and referenced New Jersey’s Energy Resilience Bank as an example of state-level policy that ties state funds to resilience requirements.

He also raised supply-chain concerns, saying some large custom transformers are manufactured overseas and recounted a testimony claim that a transformer had a “secret kill switch” discovered after laboratory testing; Johnson used this to argue for more domestic capacity or stronger procurement standards. He cited a GAO finding that roughly half of recommendations related to critical infrastructure security had not been implemented and urged coordinated action.

Johnson recommended incentives for local governments and energy providers to consider resilience in siting, zoning, and project planning and cited penalties for willful damage to infrastructure enacted in prior legislation (Senate Bill 33, 133rd General Assembly) as a precedent for tougher protections. He closed by saying the resolution seeks to prioritize planning and resources to protect Ohioans and said he would answer committee questions.

The committee did not take a formal vote on SCR2 during this hearing. The resolution’s sponsor asked for follow-up and coordination with federal and regional partners in further work on resilience measures.

Sources: Sponsor testimony by Senator Johnson in the Senate Energy Committee hearing on SCR2. Direct quotes are from his testimony.