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"The best solution for the US might be to require that Canadian companies run transmission lines independent of their grids to US markets as a condiction of market entry. One way or the other the solution is going to be enormously expensive."

Since it appears it was an American utility that caused millions of Canadians to lose power, don't you think they would view your suggestion as a tad arrogant?

It is not clear yet which side of the border the failure started on, we may never know what caused it. It is clear that the American government is serious about solving the problem, it is not so clear that the will to solve the problem exists on the Canadian side. I am working on the presumption that the Canadian utilities will not upgrade their grids. In Canada the power companies are owned by the respective provincial governments, their purpose in the eyes of there owners is to be a source of graft and patronage. With the exception of Hydro Quebec, the Canadian utilities are broke (HQ remains solvent largely because it is stealing a fortune from NFLD and Lab). If we, I believe fairly, presume that the Canadian grid will not be upgraded then these occurances will become more common on the Canadian side. I would love to be proved wrong on this but I don't think I will.