Electric currents induced in the Earth during magnetic storms can result in the corrosion of buried conductors such as pipelines. This still occurs even though they're protected by special coatings. Electric currents added to powerlines during a magnetic storm can damage power relays and occasionally cause a power grid to fail. These effects usually occur at the high latitudes on Earth. During outbreaks of solar activity, the outer atmosphere expands slightly.
Satellites sometimes experience increased drag, reducing their longevity.
The drag can also disturb their fixed location, which then disrupts their operation. The stream of charged particles from the sun can amass a charge on the craft, which interferes with sensitive electrons. This can result in phantom commands, or directions that aren't given by the controller of the satellite. This may result in disturbances in the control of the craft and even its loss. You can imagine how dangerous this is for important communication, military, and aircraft location satellites.