Power providers worried about looming blackouts

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) | Five years after the worst blackout in North American history, the country's largest power providers say the problems that turned out the lights on 50 million people have largely been resolved, but they fear that larger, systemic issues could soon lead to even bigger and more damaging outages.

Excess capacity in the system is shrinking and construction, as well as plans for new plants, has slowed as costs to build and operate them have soared.

Michael Morris, chairman, president and chief executive officer of American Electric Power, answers questions during an interview Monday, Aug. 11, 2008, in Columbus, Ohio. Five years after the worst blackout in U.S. history, the country's largest power providers fear massive and rolling outages to come, and say they will not caused by the same mishaps that cut power to as many as 50 million people in 2003. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

At the same time, it is estimated that electricity use will increase 29 percent between 2006 to 2030 - much of it driven by residential growth, according to a government report issued in June. ....