https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_2003
The blackout’s proximate cause was a software bug in the alarm system at the control room of FirstEnergy, which rendered operators unaware of the need to redistribute load after overloaded transmission lines drooped into foliage. What should have been a manageable local blackout cascaded into the collapse of much of the Northeast regional electricity distribution system.
Not a plant but another example of something that should have been small causing massive outages. From what I know talking to people who’ve worked for the province’s grid operator, it’s a massive job to keep everything going.
The have active electronics in them so that if any non-apple right angle connectors are used it limits them to usb 1.0 speeds and 5v 0.5A power delivery. It’s for your safety.