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Recent Historic Events: Introduction
"Recent" and "historic event" might seem a contradiction in
terms. Indeed, hindsight serves as one of an historian's most important and powerful
tools. The passage of time can allow passions to cool, hidden source materials to
surface,
and long-term effects to become evident. However, it doesn't always take hindsight to
recognize an important event.
A goal (and a challenge) for the Powering Project is to try to recognize significant
events quickly. Recently generated source materials can easily be discarded and lost
forever since many people equate "historic" only with "old." Also, documenting what
industry participants and contemporary observers believe to be significant provides
future researchers -- and today's electricity users -- with a window into the thought
processes at work.
The content-bar to the left lists recent events that are affecting the course of
restructuring
in an obvious manner. These events have been selected partly because mention of
them appears often in trade-publications and other sources, and partly because
important short-term effects are evident. Their ultimate long-term effects are, of course,
unknowable from
our vantage-point in the present.
Key-words are highlighted in the text to assist a search for more
information. A list of sources, including links to on-line documentation, is at the bottom
of each event page.
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