Tale OF TWO Power Plants

摘要

It has been almost a year since the biggest power failure in North American history. It was a hot Thursday afternoon in August. The blackout left 50 million people in the northeast United States and south central Canada asking who turned off the lights. Some stewed and suspected the worst ― terrorists ― and frantically searched for answers on their battery-powered radios. Others headed straight for the exit doors, relieved at the prospect of a little time off. Everyone who experienced the absence of electricity will never again take for granted the simple pleasures of air conditioning and cold beer. In Ontario, CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) nuclear energy came to the rescue within a few hours of the blackout, while other power sources remained off-grid and out of commission, for as long as three days. (See diagram.)