Press Release: ‘Grid Down, Power Up’ documentary unites all Americans in protecting the U.S. power grid

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

‘Grid Down, Power Up’ documentary unites all Americans 

in protecting the U.S. power grid

Narrated by Dennis Quaid with analysis from national & cyber-security experts, the film explores our nation’s key vulnerability as revealed in recent days—and offers nonpartisan solutions to protect it

(December 7, 2022) — As we’re seeing now in North Carolina and across the country, if just nine of our nation’s 55,000 power substations were disconnected by a cyber-attack, terrorism or even a natural event, the U.S. would be plunged into a coast-to-coast blackout, leaving Americans without the power that fuels our digitized daily lives and delivers everything from light and Internet to water and transportation infrastructure. “Grid Down, Power Up”—a new documentary narrated by actor Dennis Quaid—explores this growing national security threat, as well as policy solutions to fix it. 

“Grid Down Power Up” premieres and will begin streaming across the country at www.GridDownPowerUp.com mid-January. 

“Americans are so focused on whether Republicans or Democrats are in power that we have lost sight of how we could all be out of power, regardless of our politics,” said David Tice, the film’s Director and Producer. “The U.S. can’t survive without power, and our electric grids are vulnerable to collapse and failure. Despite extensive evidence, no regulatory body at the state or federal level has stepped up to the task of protecting the U.S. power grid, which is essentially self-regulated. The grid is not sufficiently regulated to protect against four major outside threats, which include physical attack, cyber-attack, geomagnetic disturbance and electromagnetic pulse. We have the tools to fix the problem. We just need to act.”

“Grid Down, Power Up” exposes vulnerabilities in our nation’s patchwork of more than 3,000 utility companies, which aren’t regulated to protect against outside threats such as malware. The film features analysis from leading U.S. cyber-security, military and environmental experts, as well as ways in which political leaders, from former President Obama to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, have tried to neutralize the threat over the years.

“’Grid Down Power Up” is a movement, not just a movie,” said award-winning actor Dennis Quaid, who narrates the film. “We want the film to provoke change. That’s why ‘Grid Down, Power Up’ presents Americans with knowledge and a plan of action to prevent catastrophic damage to the world as we know it.”

The film highlights the “open secret” that nuclear powers could take out each other’s power grids; Russian cyber-attacks on the Ukrainian grid; recent widespread power outages in Texas and the Northeast; and more. Leading experts whose original analysis are featured in “Grid Down, Power Up” include (but are not limited to):

• Michael Mabee—Decorated Sergeant Major & just featured in the 2022 60 Minutes segment on the power grid
• Nicole Perlroth—Award-winning New York Times cybersecurity reporter & author of This is How They Tell Me the World Ends
• Dr. Peter Pry—Former Executive Director, Task Force on National Homeland Security; Former Director of the U.S. Nuclear Strategy Forum 
• General Steven Kwast—Retired United States Air Force Lieutenant General. He last served as commander of Air Education and Training Command,
• Tommy Waller—Executive Vice President and incoming CEO, the Center for Security Policy 

“Instead of protecting our country, federal and state agencies have deferred to utility lobbying interests, which are as powerful as the electricity they provide,” said Tice. “There is no one—no regulatory agency or single person—responsible for the nation’s power grid, and $1.2 billion dollars in lobbying over the last decade has made sure of that. It’s time to give power to the people so we can protect our country.”

For more information and to get involved, visit www.GridDownPowerUp.com.