New York became something of a symbol of urban dysfunction: a city that nearly went bankrupt, a place where trash piled up amid a garbage strike and a massive blackout struck as the Son of Sam serial killer was on the loose.

WSJ: More move in than out of NYC; 1st time in decades

Since the massive blackout that wracked the east coast of the United States and large parts of Canada back in 2003, there has been a tremendous amount of conversation about the development of a "smart grid" that will provide a safe, reliable, efficient and resilient energy infrastructure.

FORBES: Gil Perez

Despite its inherent illogic, the notion that last week's massive, cascading electrical blackout was a "wake-up" call seems now to have become as much a part of the political landscape as has the effort to assign blame for this costly man-made disaster.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The Next Blackout

The blackout comes two weeks after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country, killing more than 500 people.

CNN: Widespread power blackout hits Chile