Back on August 14, 2003, when the power went out it came without any warning. 

The Empire State Building eerily went dark along with all the lights around it.

People looked a bit scared.

The subway system shut down, forcing tens of thousands to walk home from work.

The trains at Penn Station weren't going anywhere, neither were passengers. Some camped out on the steps of the Farley post office, others got creative.

At the airports, grounded planes left passengers stranded. They too spent the night on the ground.

And it wasn't much better getting around by car. 

Traffic lights were out and then came a run on gas.

Many New Yorkers initially feared terrorists caused the blackout as it happened a little less than two years after the September 11th attacks. But an investigation later found a problem at an Ohio Power Plant was to blame.

It sparked a conversation about what to do next - a need to modernize our electricity delivery systems. 

It's a conversation still being had today.