Experts Warned of Weak Power Grid

NEW YORK -- Scientists and engineers with the National Research Council warned the White House and Congress about the vulnerability of the power grid as recently as November, saying nationwide weaknesses needed to be repaired -- and fast.

Little has been done, despite a chorus of experts who've pushed since well before Sept. 11 to fix a grid that's riddled with threadbare links and plagued by chronic shortages.

"The power grid has not gotten much more than important conversations since Sept. 11," said Paul Gilbert, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, which worked on the report for the National Research Council.

The report, "Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism," was issued in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, but it noted that the systems were "subject to increased stress even without the threat of terrorism."

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,60057,00.html

I kid you not -

The 2pm excuse was the Ohio lines shorted out to nearby trees, causing 620 megawatts attached to the 3 power lines to shut down - 10% of the Northeast need - which should have been isolated but was not - bringing down the system.