Will the Department of Defense EMP drill shut down power grid? No.
Okay, I ain't saying we should trust the government to be honest with us at all times. But it does help to check things out before we panic. Please check out this website and then do some research from other news outlets as well.
Excerpt:
"The official DoD announcement about the planned exercise states:
“This exercise will begin with a national massive coronal mass ejection event which will impact the national power grid as well as all forms of traditional communication, including landline telephone, cellphone, satellite, and Internet connectivity.” — Army MARS Program Manager Paul English
During the exercise, the national power grid will not be impacted. Most social media reports referencing the announcement do not mention the exercise is a simulation and will have no “real life” impact.
“The average citizen will not even know this exercise is taking place. Our focus is to interoperate with the amateur radio community,” English told Snopes."
http://fox6now.com/2017/11/01/will-the-department-of-defense-emp-drill-shut-down-power-grid-no/