1990–2010 National/Regional Events Affect Power Industry Northeast Blackout of 2003 On August 14, 2003, shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, a highvoltage power line in northern Ohio brushed against some overgrown trees and knocked out power in eight states and part of Canada. By 4:13 p.m.,
contributed to at least 11 deaths and
million dollars a day for an infraction,
cost an estimated $6 billion. In the wake
depending on its flagrancy and the
of the blackout, Congress passed the
risk incurred.
Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Energy Policy Act of 2005 The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was
South Florida Blackout of 2008 On February 26, 2008, an equipment
508 generating units at 256 power plants
designed to combat growing energy
failure and fire at a transmission
across these eight states were off-line.
problems and changed U.S. energy
substation forced the automatic
More than 61,800 MWs of electrical
policy by providing tax incentives and
shutdown of four generating units —
load was lost in parts of Ohio, Michigan,
loan guarantees for energy production
two of them nuclear-powered —
New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
of various types. It also expanded the
at Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point.
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont
role of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Within minutes, the failure set off a
and the province of Ontario.
Commission (FERC) by requiring it to
cascade of power outages from Key
solicit, approve and enforce new electric
West to Daytona Beach and further
restored to most customers within hours,
reliability standards from the North
north, affecting up to 2.5 million
some areas of the United States did not
American Electricity Reliability
customers statewide. OUC’s generating
have power for two days and parts of
Corporation (NERC).
system automatically began to shut
Although power was successfully
Ontario experienced rolling blackouts
Prior to the blackout, NERC set
down 13 circuits at 11 substations
for up to two weeks due to a generation
voluntary standards. As a result of the
across the metro area. That left
capacity shortage. In total, about
regulation, FERC approved 96 new
11,438 customers, mostly residential,
50 million people lost power for up
reliability standards covering trees,
without power for two to 20 minutes.
to two days in the biggest blackout
training and tools. It also gave FERC the
in North American history. The event
authority to impose fines of up to a
OUC Secures 20-year Renewal of Water Consumptive Use Permit In 2004, OUC reached agreement on an historic 20-year renewal of its Consumptive Use Permit (CUP) with the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts. The permit, which represented a regional water solution among OUC, the water management districts and Orange County, authorized OUC to withdraw groundwater for treatment and distribution to customers. As part of the CUP and settlement agreement, OUC pledged to maintain its groundwater withdrawal allocation at the same level for the next 20 years, increase the use of reclaimed water, develop alternative water supply with utility partners and enhance conservation efforts.
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In 2003, the Florida section of the American Water Works Association named H2OUC (OUC’s Orlando drinking water) the best in the state.