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John Spence

Advocate Policy Expert

Colorado

John Spence is Colorado State Director of the EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security, advocating for electric grid protection against electromagnetic pulse threats and critical infrastructure security.

Biography

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John Spence serves as Colorado State Director of the EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security, where he advocates for protecting the nation's electric grid against electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threats. He has been a leading voice in Colorado on critical infrastructure protection and grid hardening legislation.

Spence's work focuses on the existential threat that electromagnetic pulses pose to modern civilization. These threats include both natural phenomena such as severe solar storms and man-made weapons from adversarial nations including Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. He has warned that congressional recommendations to protect the grid have gone unimplemented for over 20 years despite the growing threat.

Through the Colorado EMP Task Force, Spence has coordinated expert panels, supported state legislation for critical infrastructure protection, and educated citizens about grid vulnerabilities. In 2022, he worked to advance grid protection legislation in Colorado, urging citizens to testify and send letters to lawmakers.

Spence has also raised alarms about cybersecurity vulnerabilities and supply chain threats to critical infrastructure. In 2025, he disclosed that Chinese-manufactured transformers imported to the United States contain hardware enabling remote shutdown, with nearly 450 large transformers imported since 2006. He views these threats as part of a combined arms warfare strategy that integrates cyber, EMP, and sabotage capabilities.

On The Kim Monson Show, Spence has appeared multiple times to discuss EMP threats, the Colonial Pipeline hack, Chinese hardware backdoors in power infrastructure, and the need for emergency preparedness at both state and individual levels.

Episodes

4 appearances

January 13, 2025

Chinese Cyber Threats to U.S. Infrastructure and Colorado’s Gerrymandered Legislature

Colorado Politics & Policy

Experts reveal Chinese cyber infiltration of U.S. critical infrastructure while analysis exposes Colorado's extreme gerrymandering. January 13, 2025.

“And there was a– in July 16, 2021, the former director of intelligence programs at the National Security Council in the last– in the Trump administration confirmed that after the Chinese transformer was taken to the national lab, they found hardware that was put into that that had the ability for someone in China to switch it off.”

“And essentially what this does, it says that the public risks from shutting down completely an orchestrated physical attack, electromagnetic pulse attack, cyber attack, magnetic disturbance could shut down our electric grid for as long as one calendar year or longer.”

1:11:14 – 1:41:54

Segment

April 19, 2022

Threats to Our Electric Grid and Other Critical Infrastructure

Experts discuss threats to America's electric grid including EMP attacks, cyber warfare, and infrastructure vulnerabilities. April 19, 2022.

“We really need the public support right now going into the hearings. The hearings are coming up fast. And we only have a couple weeks before the hearings are probably going to occur.”

30:20 – 1:49:00

Segment

March 21, 2022

Protecting Colorado’s Electric Grid from EMP Threats

John Spence, Mike Young, Rep. Tonya Van Beber, and Danielle Neuschwanger discuss EMP threats and Colorado's critical infrastructure on March 21, 2022.

“Without electricity, life as we know it will end.”

1:41 – 48:30

Segment

March 10, 2022

The Hidden Agenda in American Schools and Protecting America’s Critical Infrastructure

Deb Flora exposes school indoctrination. EMP experts warn of grid threats from Russia. Rep. Van Beber outlines protection legislation. March 10, 2022.

“Combined arms warfare is in the military war plans of Russia, China, and North Korea, and in Iran. And what it entails is cyber warfare and possibly an EMP, electromagnetic pulse, which if set off 300 miles in the atmosphere over the central U.S., it could wipe out our entire electric grid and our critical infrastructure.”

35:10 – 38:44

Segment

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