[ars]

> Ie. If power lines at one end of the street get felled by a tree, power just comes from the other end of the street instead.

That would imply a live wire under a tree. Not a good idea.

> Nowhere in the US does that for consumers yet I don't think.

Tons of places do that, in exchange for a lower rate you install a box that lets the utility shut off your AC when demand is very high. It's available in almost all states last time I checked.