20 CHAPTER 2 Threats and Impacts: Consumers consumer might get angry but will easily adapt. Consumers can easily replace cell phones, but when access to electricity is taken away, consumers would find themselves without access to all of the technology they had grown reliant on. As such, smart grid threats will impact consumers in a variety of different ways ranging from privacy to emergency life support situations. NATURALLY OCCURRING THREATS According to the NERC Disturbance Analysis Working Group (DAWG), utilities in the United States and Canada reported 104 disturbances to the bulk electric system during the first three quarters of 2009. 1 As illustrated in Figure 2.1, natural threats, such as severe weather and natural disasters, caused more than 50 percent of these disturbances. Ranging from small storms to natural disasters, smart grids will face natural threats that can significantly impact consumers. Redundancy can be built into most 70