Battles for Future Power Shape Up in Blackout's Wake
Rapid changes in technology, the economy and society have outpaced the rate of change in the U.S. electricity industry and especially in the transmission grid. Now, that industry has moved to center stage. The battles to shape its future will center on enhancing capacity, updating technology, modernizing its institutions and clarifying its regulatory structure.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) fired the opening shot Aug. 14 when he told a television interviewer that the U.S. is a superpower with a Third-World transmission infrastructure. His former position as President Clintons energy secretary lent weight to his statement. But few industry insiders agree with it.