Some blame it on privatization and deregulation, which allowed the whole electricity distribution system to get so fragmented and complex to manage.
Others blame it on the lack of investment, an oversight somewhat, to carry on improving something which has already been fully commoditized. Something which is no longer at any company's strategic picture: Out of sight, out of mind?
Whatever the cause, for the energy sector, it is a "wake up call" for them to come up with a solution to avoid anything similar happening again.

Utility Computing is often explained to initiates by reference to the historical development of electricty supply (in it's early days electricity was a force which strategicaly empowered companies to competative advantage - before becoming a (taken-for-granted) commodity). Of course, with these damaging power-cuts, such an anlogy may longer be so popular.

The true picture is not that bad. To throw some numbers in, 1 day of disruption in about 30 years is about 99.99%, which is better than most computer systems today can achieve.

As utility computing matures, users will expect nothing less than 99.99%. In fact, what we can learn from last week, is that even 99.99% is not good enough.

Commoditization of computing power is happening. Business reliance on IT is irreversible. IT does matter, commoditized or not; just like electricity. It is now for this emerging industry to shape up to its neighbour's wake up call.