Why do electric companies have monopolies & who owns the infrastructure?

[Remodeling Maidiac]

This summer we have lost power repeatedly without storms being the cause. Usually it's back up in an hour or so so while inconvenient it's not too big a deal. Last night out at about 4 am and has not come back yet. I left for work & came back, still out. Like a dumbass I mowed the yard figuring it would surely be back on afterwards. NOT
Take a shower & get out to a hot humid house. Call them back & play phone relay with the fucking automated system for 5 minutes trying to get a human. Finally get one and am told AGAIN that a breaker went bad and it will be back on shortly. 10 hours later my frozen foods are beginning to thaw & I have to leave the house just so I can stop sweating.

Fucking pissed. If I could switch companies I would. /rant

 

[MisterBeale]

Ah, the joys of fascism.

Did you now with patents that Tesla had and the government suppressed, electricity could be transferred through the atmosphere. . . or so I have been led to believe. That would make for absolute free competition.

However, the folks that bought that patent and buried it, didn't want that. . . obviously. So now the entire planet lives with an aging, backward electrical grid that can only be serviced by a series of monopolies. How convenient for the patent holders.

I would be nice if electricity was freed up for competition the way ma Bell was broken up back in the eighties.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Yeah I've watched the biography about him. I don't think he ever proved his technology though & his funding dried up.