The energy companies at the center of the massive blackout earlier this month aren't doing themselves any PR favors. Amid a spate of federal and state investigations, it was
still unknown at press time what -- or who, for that matter -- caused the power to fail in eight states, including New York and Ohio, on the afternoon of August 14. Rather than
come together and craft a cohesive message from a national standpoint about what possibly happened, the energy companies now under fire have opted to play the blame game. For
example, First Energy Corp., one of the largest electric utilities, with operations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, stated in an August 18 press release that "it is clear
that the transmission grid in the eastern Interconnection, not just within our system, was experiencing unusual voltage and frequency fluctuations and load swings on the grid."
Translation: Don't look at us. The New York Independent System Operator (ISO), a consortium that manages New York State's electric grid, said in its press release that "power
swings began in the Midwest...[causing] the New York system to begin separating in the eastern part of the state." So while the accusations continue to fly among the energy
companies (and possible culprits) of the disaster, millions of people are still in the dark about why their lights went out. Calling PR 101.
Just a little light?…
