The picture above shows New York City in darkness, during the 2003 blackout.
A quick Amazon search for books, using the phrase “local food,” turns up more than 53,000 results. “Local economy” produces over 62,000, and “local community, over 100,000. The word “local” is big right now, especially in sustainability circles.
And another topic has recently joined the “local” list: energy. What’s that, and why? you ask. Read on.
Back in 2003, there was a huge blackout throughout eight states in the northeastern U.S. and parts of Canada, affecting 55 million people. At the time, it was the second largest blackout in the history of the Americas. And it all began right here in Ohio.
A glitch in the alarm system software in a control room of the FirstEnergy Corporation left operators unaware when overloaded transmission lines hit unpruned foliage, creating the need to re-distribute power. What would have been...