Communication blackouts in power outages: Findings from scenario exercises in Germany and France

Although infrequent, power outages can cause major disruption and incur huge costs. The increasing demand for electricity, more extreme weather events and the possibility of cyber-attack are increasing the risk of blackouts. This paper reports using scenario planning and role-playing exercises with German and French university students to investigate people's possible reactions and their expectations of government during a hypothetical 3-day blackout. The scenario is designed to explore how society would cope with a power failure over successive time periods. The aim is provide information to emergency managers and policy makers about community needs and people's likely behavior in future blackouts.