Summary

AP-APTN-0930: US Blackout Friday, 9 September 2011 STORY:US Blackout- NEW +4:3 Millions of people on US-Mexico border left without power LENGTH: 03:10 FIRST RUN: 0630 RESTRICTIONS: Pt No Access North America/Internet TYPE: English/Spanish/Natsound SOURCE: AP TELEVISION/ABC STORY NUMBER: 704717 DATELINE: San Diego - 8 September 2011 LENGTH: 03:10 AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY ABC - NO ACCESS NORTH AMERICA/INTERNET SHOTLIST: AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY San Diego, California, US - 8 September 2011 ++4:3++ ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 1. Policeman lighting flare and putting it on road 2. Tilt from policeman with flare to unlit traffic lights 3. Traffic on street 4. Exterior of Lowe's hardware shop 5. Customers inside store 6. Man walking with flashlight on his head 7. Various of traffic on dark street 8. Sign on door of shop saying it is closed due to power outage 9. Mid of shop doors 10. Wide of shops 11. Various of streets and traffic ABC - NO ACCESS NORTH AMERICA/INTERNET San Diego, California, US - 8 September 2011 ++16:9++ ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mike Niggli, chief operating officer, San Diego Gas & Electric Co. "I'd like to thank all of our customers for their patience. This is an event that has not occurred in San Diego before with a complete blackout of the system, and unfortunately caused by an event in another state. But we're going to work through it. We thank you for your patience and look forward to getting you back in service as soon as possible." AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico - 8 September 2011 ++16:9++ ++DAY SHOTS++ 13. Wide of traffic cop and, traffic on street 14. Clock on side of building 15. People on street queueing to buy ice 16. Man preparing block of ice 17. Wide of fuel station 18. Fuel station employee directing traffic 19. Various of fuel tanker and van involved in traffic accident 20. Fuel station employees directing traffic 21. Cars in queue for fuel station 22. Various of man siphoning fuel out of car 23. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Rogelio Lopez, bar owner "I'm the owner of the bar, I have them (customers) in there with candles. The ones making good money are the supermarkets, they ran out of candles, you can't even fin them in supermarkets anymore." 24. Various of people on street 25. Rescue vehicle pulling up 26. Close of sign on rescue vehicle reading: (Spanish) "Rescue" 27. Rescue personnel on street 28. Various of rescue vehicles on street 29. Various of power station STORYLINE: Utility officials say more than a half-million customers have power back in California, Arizona and Mexico after a massive outage knocked out power in a region of almost 6 (m) million people. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. officials say they're continuing to work towards fully restoring power to the region. The blackout began shortly before 4 pm local time (2300GMT) on Thursday with two nuclear reactors offline after losing electricity. Officials said there was no danger to the public or workers. The investigation into the cause of the outage is still under way, but it likely could be traced to an employee removing a piece of monitoring equipment at a power substation in southwest Arizona, officials said. It knocked out power in a region of almost 6 (m) million people in the southwest of the United States and Mexico on Thursday, bringing San Diego to a near-standstill and leaving people in the surrounding desert to swelter in searing summer heat. San Diego bore the brunt of the blackout which darkened much of the nation's eighth-largest city. The blackout extended east to Yuma, Arizona, where more than 56-thousand people were left in the dark; power was restored there about five hours later. Power was back by 10pm Thursday (0500 GMT Friday) in about a dozen cities in San Diego and Orange counties, officials said. Nine of San Diego Gas & Electric Co.'s 115 substations were also back in service. Mike Niggli, chief operating officer of San Diego Gas & Electric Co. told a news conference: "This is an event that has not occurred in San Diego before with a complete blackout of the system, unfortunately caused by an event in another state but we're going to work through it. We thank you for your patience and look forward to getting you back in service as soon as possible," said Most of the people in the affected region were expected to spend the night without power. In Tijuana, Mexico, people scrambled to buy ice, candles and fuel ahead of a possible extended blackout. Long lines were seen at fuel stations and outside establishments selling ice . Bar owner Rogelio Lopez commented: "I have them (customers) in there with candles. The ones making good money are the supermarkets, they ran out of candles, you can't even fin them in supermarkets anymore." The US-Mexico border was cloaked in darkness and police on both sides sent in re-enforcements to prevent looting and other crime in their cities, but none was reported. Tijuana, Mexicali and other cities in Mexico's Baja California state were affected due to their being connected to the US power grid. 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