it depends on what blew out the power grid...here in suburbia, if a tree takes out a line or a drunk driver takes out a transformer, shit is back up and running in 4 hours tops.
an EMP blast would definitely complicate things, but we'd be back up and running well within a year.
an EMP blast coupled with an coup or civil overthrow, would definitely keep the lights off for a year or more, but there would be other factors killing people off...
9 in 10 is a BS figure, 6-10 MAYBE, thats IF the lights stayed off. people who know cars would be mobile within hours after the blast though.
EDIT-as described in that article, no, we'd be back up in a month tops. the electrical grid is double, and in some places triple redundant on that high of a level, and even then diesel generators and cars would not be effected.
the article is simply trying to scare people.