Blackout: the largest power failure in North American history has many people asking: could the lights go out again?

Billy Thomas, 11, was watching television the afternoon of August 14, when, suddenly, the screen went dark. "I thought it was because we were using too much power," Billy said from his home in Detroit, Michigan. "I asked my dad to go in the basement and check the circuit breaker. He said there was nothing wrong with it."

Outside, Billy and his dad encountered several neighbors. "Everyone was asking us if we had power and water," Billy recalls. "The water was out, too. It was a sunny day, but the houses looked dark."

Like many people, Billy feared that the blackout was the work of terrorists. U.S. officials quickly ruled out that possibility. But they did not immediately know the exact cause of the power outage, which affected an estimated 50 million people in eight U.S. states and much of Eastern Canada.

A joint task force, led by the U.S. Department of Energy and its Canadian counterpart, is now leading an investigation.

"The electric transmission grid [network] is quite possibly the most vital piece of infrastructure that we have," said Spencer Abraham, the Secretary of Energy. "We owe ourselves an explanation of this incident and an assurance that steps will be taken to address the cause."

President George W. Bush currently has an energy bill before the U.S. Congress that calls for stricter safety standards for all of the nation's electrical utilities. These requirements would help to ensure that such a blackout does not happen again.

An Aging Grid

The outage started in the complex grid of electric lines and switches, called the Eastern Interconnection, which links regional power systems throughout the Northeast and Midwest. Just after 4 p.m. ET, a sudden, massive jolt of power mysteriously surged through the grid.

The overloaded lines automatically went out of service, and generators shut down one after another. In a matter of about nine seconds, power was gone in cities and towns across the Eastern U.S. and Canada (see map).

The blackout did not surprise many energy experts in the U.S. They have been warning that the nation's aging power grid cannot handle increasing demand. The average American uses nearly 12,900 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, compared with the world average of 2,200. At the same time, few power plants have been built to meet this demand, and there has been relatively little investment to upgrade the power grid.

Inconvenience--and Stars

For millions of people the blackout--which could cost the U.S. economy as much as $1 billion--was about inconvenience, irritation, and frustration. Commuters were stuck for hours in subways or trains; travelers were left stranded at airports; and many people spent the night in their offices. Restaurants and supermarkets had to discard spoiled food, and some parts of the Midwest did not have power and water restored for several days.

But for the most part the blackout was remarkable for what it did not trigger: widespread panic. In New York City, tens of thousands of people poured out of office buildings and calmly walked home in sweltering heat. Policemen dispatched to one busy intersection to direct traffic found two homeless men efficiently handling the matter. And, unlike in blackouts past, there was very little looting.

Elisabeth Rosenfeld, 10, even enjoyed some aspects of the blackout--like seeing shooting stars above her Cleveland, Ohio, home. "I never noticed [them] before," she said. "I think maybe it's a good thing to have the lights out every once in a while to notice nature."

Elisabeth's mother, Sherry, also saw a silver lining in the experience. "It was a wonderful lesson for them," she said of her children, who spent a weekend without television and other electronic diversions. "Why do we have to run around like crazy people all the time? We took more walks together over the weekend. We talked. We want it to last." JS

OBJECTIVES

Students should understand:

* Areas of the Northeastern U.S. and Canada suffered from a massive blackout last month. The blackout demonstrated the urgent need to expand and modernize the power grids that link huge regions of the U.S.

TEACHING STRATEGY

Just before class, turn off all classroom lights, computers, and other electronics. When students arrive, explain that a power outage has just occurred. Ask students to discuss the blackout's impact on the school and community.

BACKGROUND

Investigators suspect that a chain of power failures in the Midwest caused last month's blackout. Three transmission lines in Ohio failed, producing a jolt of electricity that shut down large parts of the electrical transmission grid linking most of the Midwest, Northeast, and Eastern Canada.

THINKING SKILLS

MAIN IDEA: What might have caused last month's massive power outage? (For answer, see "Background").

CAUSE AND EFFECT: What problems did the blackout cause? (It created delays for millions of commuters and travelers. Restaurants and stores were forced to close and discard spoiled food. Some areas went without water and power for days. Authorities estimate the blackout could cause as much as $1 billion in damages.)

ACTIVITY

ENERGY DEBATE: Many people agree that electric power grids and lines are inadequate to meet today's needs. But what if an electric power company wanted to build a new plant in your community? What objections might be raised? Hold a debate presenting opposing opinions.

STANDARDS

SOCIAL STUDIES GRADES 5-8

* Science, technology, and society: How a massive blackout struck areas of the Eastern U.S. and Canada and caused millions of dollars in damages.

* People, places, and environment: How people throughout the blackout-affected areas united to endure the inconvenience and frustrations that resulted from the power outage.

RESOURCES

PRINT

* Challoner, Jack, Eyewitness: Energy (DK Publishing, 2000). Grades 5-8.

* Snedden, Robert, Energy Alternatives (Heinemann Library, 2001). Grades 5-8.

WEB SITES

* U.S. Department of Energy http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=KIDS

* U.S: Energy History and Sources http.//www.energyquest.ca.gov/