Italian Blackout on Sunday-BBC

[smirkymonkey]

Blackout exposes Italy power crisis

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3147810.stm

Nothing was moving fast on Sunday
Energy officials have warned of serious deficiencies in Italy's electricity system, following Sunday's massive power cut that left almost the whole country in darkness.

An accident on a power supply line in neighbouring Switzerland caused a domino effect, which triggered grid failure across Italy in a matter of seconds.

At least three people are reported to have died in accidents during the blackout, and power was only restored gradually during Sunday.


OK, I have been accused of having my tinfoil wrapped too tightly on this issue, but c'mon!! At least humor me a bit - the US, Canada, UK, Sweeden, Denmark and now Italy!!!

Of course the weather and the "weaknesses in the grid system of (insert country here)" are always used as "rational" explanations. But seriously, these systems have been weak for a long time and bad weather has always been with us.

Doesn't anyone else find it the least bit strange that these blackouts keep occuring in developed nations every few weeks?? Also, I found this on the BBC website - has anyone heard about it via the media sources in this country? :tinfoilhat:

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. Of course it is just an unusual and unfortunate coincidence

There is no conspiracy at all.

If you give rich men some more money maybe you will get to keep your lights.

[smirkymonkey]

2. Seriously though...

I really am curious - the article said the blackout was caused by "a tree branch" falling on power lines - how many times have we heard that one lately??

It is either an amazing coincidence or an indication that someone is messing w/ the power switches of the powerful.

[starroute]

3. Add in how Iraq's power failed mysteriously during the war

For the first two weeks of the war, the plant chugged along as normal. But at 8 p.m. on April 3, after particularly intense bombing on Baghdad's outskirts and as columns of U.S. tanks were nearing the airport, the high-voltage lines that are supposed to carry electricity from the plant instead delivered a massive surge, forcing an automatic shutdown, Khallaf said.

The same thing happened to every other plant in central Iraq, plunging the capital into darkness and panic.

For weeks, nobody -- not U.S. military engineers, not Iraq technicians -- had any idea what happened. Did Hussein order the lights out? Did the Americans bomb a power station?

U.S. and Iraqi engineers now believe what happened was that during the fighting around the airport, a loop of high-voltage lines encircling Baghdad was accidentally severed, causing the power grid to become imbalanced and sending surges to every plant on the network.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61044-2003Sep24.html