One thing that doesn't make sense is to behave as if these blackouts are a whimsical act of nature, unpredictable as an El Ni o. Traffic signals go black at intersections and Road Warriors miraculously become Miss Manners. Families reconnect before a blank television. Dinners are eaten by candlelight. Parents tuck extra blankets around small children at bedtime.
Neighbors help neighbors.
But these blackouts aren't Mother Nature whipped into a frenzy. Human beings are orchestrating them to avoid a power grid collapse that could spread uncontrollably throughout the West. Surely, it would make life a little easier while we deal with this challenge. Of course, power officials have their reasons. Security concerns are one reason advance notifications aren't made, said SMUD spokesman Gregg Fishman.