On Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 7:22:25 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
snip

That's what our power company PG&E pulled off. Instead of fixing fire
danger prone overhead wiring they announced they'll simply cut power if
there is high wind in summer. It is up to the political leaders to pull
the charter if such behavior goes too far.


I believe that in most, if not all, cases the generating plants are
the property of the electric company. If the local government were to
"cancel their contract" where would you get electricity from?

Or do you propose that the local government, in some manner, perhaps
by a tax increase, purchase the generating plants?


It's about the distribution, not the plant. Utilities in America run on
the cost-plus basis which means carte blanche. They could let them run
the power plants that way but allow competition in the distribution.
Even Germany did that which, compared to a the US, is much less capitalist.