[FooHentai]

>If there are areas that we can't afford to safely provide power to, we shouldn't provide power to those areas anymore.

Isn't that exactly what just happened and exactly what everyone's complaining about?

[dragonwriter]

No, what just happened is PG&E was forced to cut power because it has for years prioritized dividends over it's safety obligations, not because there are places to which power cannot be safely delivered.

This isn't a can't be done safely problem, it's a private firm gambling to squeeze out more short-term profits and hoping it doesn't blow up in their face problem.

[maxerickson]

I have the feeling that poor regulation and mismanagement are bigger contributors than affordability (or whether "safe" lines can be built).