The Grid Crumbles
The Grid Crumbles
This chapter discusses the destruction of the electric grid in Potsdam in January 1998. Potsdam was part of a loop that connected to the Canadian grid in the north and circled around to connect to other loops in the east, south, and west. Such a design enabled power to move from any source to any point along the loop. Due to destruction of the grid, major transmission lines to the south failed, separating the North Country grid from Niagara Mohawk's grid downstate. The authorities in Potsdam were operating in emergency mode. The first major job that developed for the police in this situation was simply to answer calls and provide information to people. The callers wanted the police to check on their families' whereabouts and safety. The chapter reveals that due to this grid failure, all connections to all sources of power were lost.
Keywords: electric grid, power, transmission lines, emergency, grid failure
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