The U.S. and Canada are not the only places where an aging p0wer grid or failsafe systems are in need of an overhaul. Almost all of Italy was plunged into darkness over the weekend when an accident on a power supply line in Switzerland triggered quick failure of the entire Italian grid except on the island of Sardinia, where power is locally generated. By Tuesday the system was up and running again, but just as in the U.S. and Canada, the temporary fix doesnÂ’t solve the long-term problem of decaying infrastructure. Other countries face similar issues: large-scale power failures have also occurred since August in southeastern England, Denmark and southern Sweden.