Rare events are difficult to compute and predict but have a very large societal impact. The August 14, 2003, Northeast US blackout affected 55 million people in the US and Canada and was visible from space. MACSER aims to accurately model and effectively simulate such events.

The electricity grid is at the core of $400B per year in direct economic activity, and central to US security and prosperity. How to improve its reliability and resilience, particularly when faced with abnormal or extreme environmental events, is the central application theme of MACSER.