Blackout 2003

L20 BLACKOUT 2003 The Northeast blackout of 2003 was a widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and the Canadian province of Ontario on Thursday, August 14. 2003, just before 4:10 p.m. While some power was restored by 11 p.m., many did not get power back until Lake two days later. At the time, it was the second most widespread blackout in history, after the 1999 Southern Michigan Brazil blackout. The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states. VT NH Represents an area outside of this map Lake Huron NORMAL FLOW OF POWER The electrical grid is a a network of generating stations, transmission lines, and distribution lines, which produce and transmit electrical power long distances throughout the nation. The power grid is how electricity gets from generators through high-vo Itage lines to your home. With Canada to the North of Ohio, the normal flow of power around Lake Erie involves power plants in Toronto Lake Ontario both Canada and the United States, traveling through international transmission lines. In the illustration to the left, the orange arrows represent the flow of power through transmission line • disconnect ONTARIO, MA generator trips nuclear plant normal AFTEREFFECTS transmission lines around CANADA parts of the Great Lakes. Though local power generation is used by this area, a great deal of electricity is also pulled in from generators in New ( nuclear plant warning NY Buffalo L11 NEW YORK s in York, Northern Ontario, Michigan, & Eastern Ohio. 800 Manhattan high-rises had stalled elevators 600 subway & commuter rail cars trapped CT G9 < 175,000 Without traffic lights, Calls made to 311 information hotline by concerned citizens gridlock was reported as persons fled their offices on foot. G4 becase 911 was out of KEY PARTIES Lake Erie service L10 Detroit Many New York neighborhoods held vast block parties, since many restaurants had perishable items. L15 Major television networks were unable to OL190 MI broadcast (back-up stations in Dalas made it L12 possible for prime-time The beginning events of the blackout occurred in two different control areas, which cause miscommunication and confusion among the different power companies, and preventing swift reaction to the blackout's first events. television to broadcast). OHIO G1 G2 G3 12:05:44 - 13:31:34 540,000 NEW JERSEY New York The tripping (shutdown) of three generators in Ohio and Michigan caused a change in the flow of electricity through the midwest transmission system, pulling power through different channels to maintain powerlevels near shutdowns. homes and The day after the Control Area Operators are responsible for ensuring reliability and controlling power generation. The two control areas involved in the blackout included First Energy (FE) and American Electric Power (AEP). PA businesses were , AEP FE SS blackout, the New Jersey Turnpike didn't begin collecting tolls until 9am L21 without power. Toledo 118 16:13:00 OL3 Cleveland Cascading sequence essentially complete Water had to be boiled to be cleaned Reliability Cordinators are responsible for ensuring stability within controlareas and regional boundaries, and coordinating emergency operations within a control area. The reliability coordinators involved in the blackout included Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) and Pemnslyvania New Jersey Maryland interconnection (PLM). G5s LI 14:02 for several days afterward in PJM 16:10:50 - 16:11:57 ONTARIO, CANADA This first line disconnection occurred because of a brush fire Cleveland 16:10:50 - 16:1:57: Ontario separates from New York and transmission lines to the West of St. Lawrence. SW Connecticut separates from New York and loses power. MISO under part of the power line. The gases released by fires ionize the air above transmission lines, which causes the air to conduct electricity. The electricity in the air can short-circuit the conductors, causing a line to disconnect. Traffic lights, the subway and streetcars, 200 ft Cedar Point the Toronto Stock Lake Huron The Conrol Area Operators and Reliability Coordinators work together, FE with MISO, and AEP with PJM. Exchange, and CBC's Toronto studios were CN 16:11:22: When Long Mountain-Plum Tree disconnected, New York and sw Connecticut only through one low-voltage line, which disconnected within twenty seconds, blacking out Connecticut. employees had to walk guests 200ft down steps of a Lake Ontario shut down in Toronto. L17 NJ 2 L3 L4 15:05:41 - 15:41:33 rollercoaster whose L5 care had stopped on a hill. 140 These lines, crucial for transmission of power between Eastern and Northern Ohio, reduced the effectiveness of the grid to push electricity where it was needed. 16:1:57: All remaining transmission lines between Canada and Michigan separate, essentially completing the cascade Miners stuck under- ground in Sudbury. They were safe but not evacuated until the morning after sequence. REACTIVE POWER MICHIGAN Lake Eri он L7 An explosion due to gas buildup occured in a Marathon Oil refinery, evaculating everyone within one mile around the plant, and closing l-75 L5 15:45:33 - 16:06:03 L14 G5s 2 REAL POWER (watts): The power we are charged for in electric bills REACTIVE POWER (VARS): The force that pushes real power through transmission lines Days the Maid of the Mist tour boats could not run on Niagara Falls. Hydroelectric generation on the Niagara River was increased to maximum level, causing a drop in river levels. Lake Erie Baltimore The cause of the 2003 blackout was, in great part, due to a shortage of reactive power. Reactive power, sometimes known as invisible power, is the force that moves real power through electrical wires. When there is not enough reactive power, real power cannot flow. VARS 2.3 million VARS households and businesses affected MD watts DE watts 16:10:46 - 16:10:55 New York Lake Lake Ontario We pay for real power and not reactive power. Because of this, power companies do not measure their reactive power output and there is no incentive to create it. Some generators choose not to output reactive power, creating large deficits of reactive power in parts of the grid. splits East to West, losing power to the он NORMAL FLOW NO FLOW MONEY LOST Power flow through transmission lines relies on a balance of real power (watts) and reactive power (VARS) Without enough reactive power, real power cannot move through lines, so voltage drops & lines disconnect approximate area of power shortage - electricity flow North. Lines between New England and L5 was reconnected within a minute of its disconnection; however, the disconnection of transformers separated the 138 kV system from the 345 kV support surrounding it. The disconnection of L6 blocked the 345 kV lines between New York disconnect, leaving most of New England's po wer grid intact. Lake Erie Inductive motors (present in air conditioners and rotary devices) consume reactive power. The blackout occured on a hot day, so many homes and businesses had their air conditioning on, raising the amount of reactive power needed. However, the Eastern and Northern Ohio completely. 1.5 Total Direct: 3.465 PA Total Indirect: 0.693 In AC (alternating current) power, reactive power is created when the current and oltage are out of phase This is a less efficient way for power companies to output. L7 L8 16:08:58 - 16:09:06 G4 16:09:23 - 16:10:27 Power is output more efficiently when the voltage and current are in sync, but no reactive power is created-only real power results. TOAL LOST EARNINGS: 4.159 area of Ohio where the blackout started was in one of these large areas lacking sufficient reactive power, and there was simply not enough reactive power to keep the real power moving. 1 L9 LD LI1 16:10 - 16:10:38 G5 G6 16:10:04 - 16:10:45 Lake Erie MI G6 Lake Huron LIT HOW ELECTRICITY WORKS u9 20 L216:10:43 - 16:10:45 G916:10:42 Lost Eamings (in Billions) MI NY NJ OH PA ст VT MA The disconnection of L19 & L20 split the Eastern Interconnection into two sections. New York City, North New Jersey, New England, Eastern Michigan, Ontario, & the Quebec system, all above this line, suffered power outages from the blackout. Areas South of these disconnections were not affected. MILI OH TRANS MISSION DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION HOUSEHOLD GENERATOR Total electric output has to rise and fall to meet the total demands on the electric system. Generators usually produce electricity at 7 kilovolts to 25 kilovolts TRANSMISSION G3 LINES Outlets provide between 120-240 SUBSTATION These act as way stations that link power more efficient for LINES SUBSTATION Field transformers G5S Voltage is reduced for distribution to High Estimate High-voltage lines are step down the power to 120-240 volts (the voltage that comes out of volts of power to everyday electrical appliances. LD u8 G7 G8 16:10:41 customers, usually to between 12 kilovolts lines for increased reliability and step up voltage again for long distance transmission. transmitting power. Raising the voltage reduces power loss, but much electricity is The shutdown of these transmission lines blocked transmission paths from Southwest Ohio into Northern Ohio and Michigan, pulling electricity from Indiana to serve these areas. Ge Lake Because L17's and 35 kilovolts. path into the the plug in a wall). Midwest was (1 kilovolt = 1,00o0 volts). already block- ed by the dis- still lost over Transformers at the long-distance lines. 5 generators step up the voltage, from 60 kilovolts to 500 connection of After the disconnection of lines 9 through 12, Northern Ohio and Eastern Michigan had little to generation of power, draining voltage & pulling power from the transmission system between Michigan and Ontario. On top of that, when these lines disconnected along Lake Erie, a surge of power reversed direction and began flowing through the transmission lines in Pennsylvania and New York to reconnect with lines in Ontario headed back into Michigan. 17 and L8, L18 was Northern Low Estimate LIO Lake Erie Ohio's last kilovolts, before sending the power into the grid. connection to G3 the Eastern -200 kV 120-240 V G5s Interconnectio n. Its discon- nection left 60-500 kV 12-35 kV 7-25 kV L13 L14 L15 L16 16:10:40 - 16:10:44 Cleveland These four lines disconnected from the grid within 4 seconds of each other in reaction to completely isolated. Cost (in Billions) Cost to Cost to Cost to Lost Total Lost the huge amount of energy flowing into New York & New Jersey, separating Pennsylvania from New York. Government Industrial/ Power Earnings Earnings Residential Industry Customers L16 L13