Today's news contains this item. nationalgrid today announced that people in the six New England states will have to expect rolling blackouts of 1-2 hours duration during the day when electric demand peaks. This is due to a projected shortage of fuel -- principally natural gas -- for the few electric generating plants that serve the Northeast. The Northeast banned coal-fired and new nuclear plants years ago. There has not been a new power plant built here since the 1970s.