Our power grid is in drastic need of modernization.
The worst blackout in the history of the United States and Canada occurred August 14, 2003, when 61,800 megawatts of electrical power was lost in an area covering 50 million people. (One megawatt of electricity is roughly the amount needed to power 750 residential homes.) The blackout affected such major cities as Cleveland, Detroit, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto. Parts of eight states—Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Vermont—and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec were affected. The blackout prompted calls to replace aging equipment and raised questions about the reliability of the national power grid.
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