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Does anyone remember the 2003 blackout [0] that left 55 million people in 2 countries without power for up to 3 days?

With a worldwide grid we could make one a hundred times larger.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_2003



“Connect” doesn’t have to mean “operate as a closely coupled synchronized grid”.

Using HVDC (which is more efficient over long distances anyway), adjacent grids basically appear as just another power plant to yours (and some early HVDC connections literally consisted of a motor coupled to a generator!), and grids ought to be able to stomach the sudden outage of one.


Was a great time for stargazing, at least!


This not a necessary outcome of connected grids though. Technology has advanced a lot in the past two decades.



A hack was not the cause of the 2003 blackout.


It did not need to be. My pint was that upgrades being done by everyone did not eliminate all points of fragility.




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