Technology and Brain Power used to Tame an Aging Grid

Chang, K., "Technology and Brain Power used to Tame an Aging Grid," August 25, 2003, The New York Times, pg. A1 and A12 

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The day-to-day operation of the nation's power grid is, in many respects, a great marvel - a second-by-second balancing act of the tremendously volatile thing known as electricity, a sometimes wicked creature with a mind of its own that can cause great damage in a hurry.

The grid, much misunderstood, is not a programmable network like the phone system or the Internet.  Electricity cannot be sent from here to there in nice packages.

Rather, the grid is like a giant invisible reservoir where the amount of power being put in at any moment must match the amount being consumed. [Read More]