The earthquake's effect on electricity generation in China, through the disruption of coal supplies and the temporary shutdown of power generation at some hydroelectric dams, remains unclear.
A dramatic real-world example of a cascade of failures is the blackout that affected much of Italy in 2003, where the shutdown of power stations directly led to the failure of nodes in the Internet communication network, which in turn contributed to further breakdown of power stations, see [52].
The unexpected shutdown of a power generating unit at a nuclear power plant in southern Russia sent ripples of worry through the region, even as the authorities insisted that there had been no release of radioactive contamination after what they described as a minor mishap.
By the same token, if cooling reservoir levels were to fall far enough, it could force the shutdown of nuclear power plants.
Under the new Homeland Security Advisory System, a red alert would mean there was a "severe risk" of attack and that immediate shutdown of nuclear power plants and airports might be required.
However, due to the shutdown of nuclear power plants after the earthquake, the import rate of electric power decreased drastically from 0.38 to almost zero, and Kyoto began to depend on the Maizuru power plant in Kyoto Prefecture, which used coal for electricity generation (Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. 2017).
On the City Room blog, my colleague Michael Grynbaum reports on the status of the city's power: Officials at Consolidated Edison said on Saturday they had no current plans for a pre-emptive shutdown of electrical power in parts of Manhattan.
In January, the Department of Energy declared that the U.S. power grid "faces imminent danger" of cyberattack, though critics argue that the risks of a total shutdown of American power are often overstated, given that it would require the physical destruction of multiple substations.
But barring a shutdown of nuclear power plants, companies say they have little choice.
Then, seemingly panicked by the Fukushima disaster in Japan, she ordered an abrupt shutdown of nuclear power.
Possible energy shortages caused by the temporary shutdown of nuclear power plants in Japan could also crimp the economy this summer.
