How a smarter grid could have prevented the 2003 U.S. cascading blackout

The electrical grid is caught in a political and technological energy war over what can most efficiently, safely, reliably and cost effectively provide commercial power for an increasing national load. The answer lies in research of the 2003 Northeast Blackout and introducing an emerging technology; Smart Grid (SG). This paper summarizes the blackout's key events, driving factors and tipping point for its cascade in order to highlight the critical benefits of Smart Grid Technology (SGT). Industry research suggests that SG could have prevented the cascade, had it been complete and implemented in 2003. This paper presents the essential elements of SGT (with industry research ongoing) that can achieve three things; (1) prevent cascading blackouts of this magnitude, (2) recover as quickly as possible from emergencies (terrorist attacks, natural disasters, etc.), and (3) provide a solution to this energy war with a portfolio of energy technologies.