An insider's perspective on the worst blackout in North America, 20 years later

On August 14, 2003, at 4:11 p.m., the control room manager monitoring Ontario's power network observed four warnings appearing on his computer monitor.

Afterwards, an additional 30,000 arrived.

"It appears that we have encountered a disruption," Todd Parcey reminisces, acknowledging the vast underestimation of the situation.

At that particular moment, he was unaware that issues in Ohio had triggered a power outage affecting a staggering 50 million individuals in the northeastern parts of the United States and Ontario. This encompassed the entire province to the east of Wawa, with the exception of some small regions in Niagara and Cornwall. It marked the most severe electrical blackout ever experienced in North America.

The significant number of 30,000 alarms, along with their accompanying sounds and visuals, served as a clear indication of the extent of the "disruption."

"It's like striking the biggest prize in a gambling den or stepping foot inside a casino only to be greeted by a symphony of sounds that hold personal significance," reflects Parcey two decades down the line.

In terms of my workstation, it is adorned with a total of 11 computer displays, while one of them serves the sole purpose of showcasing alarms. Consequently, as soon as I hear the initial chime, my attention diverts towards the alarm screen. Initially, I am able to identify the first four or five alarms, but after that, an overwhelming number simply fades away from the view.

On that particular day, the majority of individuals in the province were faced with their own disruptions. They had to endure long walks back home due to the closure of the subway in Toronto. Everyday citizens stepped up to manage traffic without any signals to assist drivers. Additionally, neighbors made the best out of the situation by cooking on barbecues and sharing meals made from the contents of their refrigerators under candlelight.

Further examinations revealed that a sequence of malfunctions in Ohio were responsible for the widespread power outage. Initially, a malfunction in a monitoring device went unnoticed, followed by the tripping off of a power-generating unit in an excessively burdened section of the network. Subsequently, transmission lines grew excessively hot, causing them to droop into overgrown trees and ultimately lead to tripping.

Once authorities acknowledged that the system was at risk, it was already too late to take action and the collapse resulted in excessive burdens on nearby regions.

In the province of Ontario, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) reports that a sequence of significant power fluctuations entered the grid connections of Michigan and New York.

David Robitaille, who currently holds the position of Senior Director of Market Operations at the IESO, had recently arrived at Toronto's Pearson airport when the electricity suddenly went out.

He had been in New Jersey, collaborating with peers from different areas that belong to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), an organization that establishes electricity regulations to guarantee the efficiency and safety of the electricity network.

Interestingly, Robitaille had been involved in the creation of the initial grid standards for NERC.

Upon arrival, he had to deplane outside of the designated area and immediately became aware of an impending issue. The utter disorder at the customs area confirmed his suspicions.

Parcey and his team at the IESO took a moment to clear up the initial uncertainty before embarking on the task of restoring the grid.

"We constantly undergo training for situations like this," he states. "You momentarily take a brief break and then ask yourself, 'Alright, what resources do we still have?' and proceed to comprehend the magnitude of the incident. Afterward, our primary goal is to try and stabilize whatever remains. Once we achieve that stability, our immediate focus shifts towards reestablishing power supply to the nuclear plants without relying on the main grid."

The IESO is not directly responsible for flipping switches on and off, but the process of restoring the electricity grid involves collaborating with power generators and entities such as Hydro One, which manage the transmission lines.

Parcey explains that the nature of our work closely resembles air traffic control, but our focus is centered around managing the flow of electricity.

Back in August 14, 2003, the IESO team spent an uninterrupted time of approximately 20 hours on six telephones. They took turns in shifts of four hours, providing the necessary instructions, as Parcey fondly remembers.

Parcey mentioned that the nuclear plants have the capability to operate continuously even without external power or can simply switch to a secure mode of operation. Thus, ensuring safety wasn't the primary worry. However, it's worth noting that these plants play a significant role in generating a substantial portion of Ontario's electricity.

In order to establish a connection between the power generation in Niagara Falls and the Bruce Power nuclear complex, certain precautions need to be taken to ensure a smooth flow of electricity. This involves carefully managing circuits and introducing additional load when the voltage exceeds the optimal level.

"It's progressing gradually," Parcey mentions. "You make small advancements until you reach a moment where you have sufficient links established to proceed with bigger leaps."

By the time midnight struck, the transmission lines spanning across a staggering 18,000 kilometers were successfully repaired within the grid. Following this feat, the vast majority of customers were fortunate enough to have their power promptly restored the following day.

Numerous individuals from Ontario followed the recommendations of authorities to lessen their electricity usage for the upcoming week with the aim of aiding in the recovery endeavors, and Parcey affirms that this made a significant impact.

In total, there was a decrease of 18.9 million hours of work, and the manufacturing shipments in Ontario experienced a decline of $2.3 billion in August, as reported by the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force.

However, it is highly probable that the day will stand out in people's memories due to the exceptional occurrences it triggered among colleagues, acquaintances, or even individuals who are unfamiliar to each other.

After hearing many of the anecdotes later on, Parcey expresses that it was a truly Canadian occurrence. He believes that individuals genuinely united in that situation.

Todd Smith, who is currently serving as the energy minister in Ontario, held the position of a news director at a radio station located in Belleville, Ontario, back in August 2003.

Once he finished his morning work schedule, he decided to enjoy a game of golf in the company of his pals. Suddenly, news spread about a massive power outage that had affected the entire eastern coastline.

"Afterwards, I swiftly hopped into my vehicle and drove towards the broadcasting station," he reminisced.

Upon his arrival at the station, he came to the realization that the power outage was considerably larger in scale than just a regional occurrence.

"It was simply astonishing to witness all the traffic signals inoperable, not only in areas such as Belleville and Trenton but throughout the entire province and a significant portion of North America," he expressed.

Smith, who won the election as a member of the Progressive Conservative party, representing Bay of Quinte in 2011, stated that Ontario gained valuable insights from the power outage incident and has subsequently emerged as a prominent supporter of grid regulations.

According to Robitaille from the NERC, he concurs that "the system's ability to withstand and recover from disruptions has greatly improved compared to the past," mentioning that the NERC has implemented regulations which undergo evaluations every three years.

However, Smith cautioned, "we should not assume that reliability is a given."

Whenever I soar above the Toronto waterfront during the nighttime, gazing upon the illuminated buildings, it undeniably triggers contemplation regarding the obligations entailed by individuals engaged in the energy industry.

The information provided in this article from The Canadian Press was initially released on August 12, 2023.

--This information includes contributions from Liam Casey and William Eltherington