The best source of electrical power comes from the large generator stations which burn large qualities of Coal, nuclear etc.

Getting the electric power to everyones homes over large geographic areas is the main problem here.

http://www.aip.org/tip/INPHFA/vol-9/iss-5/p8.html

The power grid frequency relaxation which was brought in a year or two ago, I suspect might be at the heart of the current power crisis.

The relaxation in the frequency stability requirements (load matching capacity) for the 60Hz US Grid was introduced to save money. The storm Sandy really shouldn't have caused such a widespread outage. There were apparently even problems with the Nuclear power stations (Level II emergency shutdowns for example) serving the north eastern seaboard geographic area, but this was not covered at all by the media.

As the 92 year old woman stated 'but why, Why is it taking so long?'. Why Indeed!

Continually being told 'it was the trees, what did the damage' is really just a lame excuse. The reprise should be 'I really don't care as a customer how you delivery the power, it really is not my concern as a customer, that is why you get paid for the service delivery'


The power companies at the heart of this crisis need investigation. If this happened in the UK, the power companies would be re-nationalised and the executives sacked after the public Judicial inquiry.

As this is not the way things are carried out in the USA, how about a Class Action Lawsuit to ensure that the power companies harden and make much more resilient the electrical grid distribution to inclement weather and other perturbations.

A Carrington Event sized solar storm event which could leave customers waiting for the electricity to come back on after a year or two could prove fatal for millions. A class action lawsuit might just save their lives in the future.