Brace for Impact: A Review of Mitigation Decisions of Critical Infrastructure Operators During the 2024 Solar Maximum

TL;DR

This paper systematically reviews mitigation strategies used by critical infrastructure operators during the 2024 solar maximum, combining literature analysis, surveys, and interviews to identify actions and impacts related to space weather events.

Contribution

It provides one of the first comprehensive analyses of mitigation strategies across power, satellite, and aviation sectors during a major space weather event.

Findings

91 mitigation actions identified across sectors

149 mitigation actions enacted due to space weather forecasts

Qualitative insights into operator experiences and impacts

Abstract

The Gannon Storm in May 2024 was the largest space weather event experienced in 20 years, generating auroras latitudes as low as 35{\deg}. Such activity can pose significant operational challenges for critical infrastructure operators, particularly those managing electricity transmission networks, satellite constellations, and aviation systems. Substantial progress has been made in understanding space weather and the potential exposure of infrastructure assets to severe events. We have seen few evaluations of the types of current mitigation strategies in use to reduce our shared vulnerability to this activity, motivating this study. Firstly, we fill an important literature gap by undertaking a systematic review of the range of space weather mitigation strategies for these three critical infrastructure sectors. Secondly, we contacted 303 critical infrastructure operators (50 power, 227 satellite, 26 aviation) for participation in an anonymous online survey or interview receiving 55 unique responses (18% response rate). To capture narratives of mitigation actions taken and impacts experienced over the solar maximum, qualitative interviews were then conducted with 33 operators. The results identified 91 potential mitigation actions within the sectors and found that 149 mitigation actions were enacted due to space weather forecasts and experienced impacts. This is one of the first exhaustive studies of space weather mitigation activities, and moves beyond the traditional focus on purely impacts.