Easier for other nations to “socialize” grid
Other countries have consolidated multiple antique little grids into one single entity with ease, to easily integrate new renewable power. A unique historical legacy left the United States with an outdated transmission infrastructure and an ineffective institutional structure.
The UK completed their restructuring into one national grid in one year, by 1990. China completed theirs in three months. They had had a similarly fragmented vertically integrated utility sector as we still do; till 2002. They switched from 12 local grids to just 2 in just three months.
Only our old regulatory structure hinders us from upgrading the electricity grid. Yet our oil and gas pipelines easily traverse the nation.
Images from HistoryWiz and Flikr users and Zephyra of the SW and CSullivan and frogdog*
Graphs and study: Policy Barriers to Electrical Transmission
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