The power failure on 2nd December, 2014, left Detroit’s schools, fire stations, traffic signals and public buildings into darkness. This reflects a larger problem of aging electrical infrastructure around the country that is a cause of worry. Detroit’s waning municipal system was responsible for major power failures that repeatedly caused blackouts in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
But the problem is not isolated to one city. A series of federal and private studies raise alarm bells about the power distribution system nationally, saying it is plagued by aging equipment with high failure rates, obsolete system structures and outdated engineering. In 2014, The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s power infrastructure a grade of D+. This low score was attributed in part to elements of the interconnected transmission and distribution systems, including 400,000 miles of electric lines, dating back to the 1880s and much to World War II era.
The largest blackout in U.S. history was on Aug. 14, 2003, when 50 million people were left in the dark after trees in Ohio landed on power lines, starting a ripple effect that was felt across the Great Lakes area and the Northeast.
A 2011 report by the international insurer Allianz concluded: “The power blackout risk is generally underestimated. The U.S. electric grid loses power 285 percent more often than in 1984. That’s costing American businesses as much as $150 billion per year.”