Within a week, the northeastern United States was hit by both an earthquake and hurricane. Following Hurricane Irene, four million homes and businesses lost electricity. According to experts like Dan Genest of Dominion Virginia Power, turning the lights back on will be no easy task. He told the AP that “one broken pole can take six to seven hours to repair.” Bob Hennelly, senior reporter for WNYC, and Stucknation columnist, and David Wagman, chief editor of Power Engineering magazine, discuss why the aftermath of Hurricane Irene is an opportunity to reexamine the way the U.S. produces and distributes its energy and infrastructure resources.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.