"20 Years Later: Metro Detroiters Reflect on the Historic Blackout that Shook North America"

Monday, Aug. 14, marked the 20th anniversary of the 2003 blackout, the worst in North American history, which affected over 50 million people across Michigan, seven other states, and parts of Canada. The blackout was triggered by a power line failure in Ohio, leading to a cascade of failures and costing an estimated $6 billion. While utility companies have made improvements to prevent similar incidents, concerns remain about weather-related outages and the need for investments in vegetation management. Additionally, utility companies are increasing efforts to address emerging cybersecurity threats.