A recent article in TIME magazine suggests that the U.S. power grid is not really that vulnerable because the electricity-distribution system is highly decentralized, and there's no central control system. READ MORE
OPINION: This article might over-simplify things. It is true that the over-all U.S. system is decentralized, but as we have seen a "regional" outage can affect millions. For example, the Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, at approximately 4:15 pm EDT (20:15 UTC). At the time, it was the most widespread electrical blackout in history.The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in the Canadian province of Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states. READ MORE
OPINION: This article might over-simplify things. It is true that the over-all U.S. system is decentralized, but as we have seen a "regional" outage can affect millions. For example, the Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, at approximately 4:15 pm EDT (20:15 UTC). At the time, it was the most widespread electrical blackout in history.The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in the Canadian province of Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states. READ MORE
