Can solar flares knock out power on Earth?

The answer

Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can indeed disrupt Earth's technology. The most powerful recorded solar storm, the 1859 Carrington Event, induced electrical currents so strong that telegraph operators received shocks and some equipment burst into flames. A similar event today could damage transformers in power grids worldwide, knock out GPS systems, disrupt airline communications, and potentially cause trillions of dollars in damage. In 2012, a Carrington-class CME narrowly missed Earth by just nine days in its orbital position. Space weather monitoring is now a serious priority.