Crews attempting to deal with black-starting a frail and brittle grid like the one in Venezuela also face major safety considerations, like explosions. Venezuela’s massive, nationwide power outages, which began on Thursday, have so far resulted in at least 20 deaths , looting, and loss of access to food, water, fuel, and cash for many of the country’s 31 million residents. Late Monday, the United States said its diplomats would leave the US embassy in Caracas, citing deteriorating conditions. As the societal impacts intensify and Venezuela’s internal power struggle continues, the country is clearly struggling to restart its grid and meaningfully restore power—a problem exacerbated by its aging infrastructure . Reenergizing a dead grid, a process known as a black start, is challenging under any circumstances. But statements from Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, opposition leader Juan Guaido, and other officials have largely failed to explain details of what caused […]