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CNN Live At Daybreak
Power Blackout: What's Next?
Aired August 18, 2003 - 06:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now that the power is back on in most places and everyday life is returning to normal, what's next?
CNN's Skip Loescher found some people who think they know what needs to be done.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SKIP LOESCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Local, state and federal officials and industry officials are taking what they call a good, long, hard look at what caused last week's massive power blackout. All seem to agree, though, that new transmission lines are needed.
(voice-over): Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is urging Congress to enact a new energy policy that will result in modernizing the nation's electric transmission grid.
SPENCER ABRAHAM, ENERGY SECRETARY: There is peril ahead if we don't modernize the system, invest in energy the way we need to, because there will be other evidences of problems coming up.
LOESCHER: The cost will be high -- tens of billions of dollars. And Abraham says rate payers will likely foot most of the bill.
Officials say they now believe three power lines in the Cleveland area shut down an hour or so before the blackout cascaded, leaving millions of people in the U.S. and Canada without electricity.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON, FORMER ENERGY SECRETARY: I think the cause of this blackout of the Ohio companies was because of overload, and right now companies -- utility companies don't face mandatory reliability standards.
LOESCHER: But those overloads should have been isolated, officials say, with the rest of the grid remaining intact.
MICHAEL GENT, NORTH AMERICA ELEC. RELIABILITY COUNCIL: There were fail-safe steps in place, and they didn't work. We don't know whether it's a faulty design or whether it's not following the rules.
LOESCHER: Whatever it turns out to be, Michigan's governor says federal officials need to hear the cries of the people, not utility companies.
GOV. JENNIFER GRANHOLM, MICHIGAN: We want to make sure that citizens are heard and that they are assured that this kind of blackout does not occur again. LOESCHER (on camera): Secretary Abraham meets with his Canadian counterpart on Wednesday, as both countries begin a joint probe into what happened and why.
Skip Loescher, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired August 18, 2003 - 06:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now that the power is back on in most places and everyday life is returning to normal, what's next?
CNN's Skip Loescher found some people who think they know what needs to be done.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SKIP LOESCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Local, state and federal officials and industry officials are taking what they call a good, long, hard look at what caused last week's massive power blackout. All seem to agree, though, that new transmission lines are needed.
(voice-over): Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is urging Congress to enact a new energy policy that will result in modernizing the nation's electric transmission grid.
SPENCER ABRAHAM, ENERGY SECRETARY: There is peril ahead if we don't modernize the system, invest in energy the way we need to, because there will be other evidences of problems coming up.
LOESCHER: The cost will be high -- tens of billions of dollars. And Abraham says rate payers will likely foot most of the bill.
Officials say they now believe three power lines in the Cleveland area shut down an hour or so before the blackout cascaded, leaving millions of people in the U.S. and Canada without electricity.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON, FORMER ENERGY SECRETARY: I think the cause of this blackout of the Ohio companies was because of overload, and right now companies -- utility companies don't face mandatory reliability standards.
LOESCHER: But those overloads should have been isolated, officials say, with the rest of the grid remaining intact.
MICHAEL GENT, NORTH AMERICA ELEC. RELIABILITY COUNCIL: There were fail-safe steps in place, and they didn't work. We don't know whether it's a faulty design or whether it's not following the rules.
LOESCHER: Whatever it turns out to be, Michigan's governor says federal officials need to hear the cries of the people, not utility companies.
GOV. JENNIFER GRANHOLM, MICHIGAN: We want to make sure that citizens are heard and that they are assured that this kind of blackout does not occur again. LOESCHER (on camera): Secretary Abraham meets with his Canadian counterpart on Wednesday, as both countries begin a joint probe into what happened and why.
Skip Loescher, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
