The blackout on August 14, 2003 was the biggest in U.S. history. And just like every major blackout, it raised a lot of questions about how our power distribution system works. At a high level, the power grid is a very simple thing. It consists of a set of large power plants hydropower plants, nuclear power plants, etc. all connected together by wires. One grid can be as big as half of the United States. See How Power Distribution Grids Work to learn about the different pieces of the grid.

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