California utility to cut power to 27k customers to reduce wildfire risk
I am all for utility companies cutting service to rural areas, for cost savings or otherwise.<p>Living in the country side is <i>supposed</i> to be expensive, but for the past 40 years or so all of the population centers of America have been subsidizing rural life. My parents live 30 miles inland in Florida and recently wanted their 5 mile dirt road paved, total cost would have been north of $2,000,000... Even if that was split among everyone living there you are looking at $133,000.<p>Things don&#x27;t get better once you consider their power lines, at $285,000 per mile you are looking at $95,000 just to run power to their home and all adjacent homes.<p>Then add in water + sewage, at $25.18 per foot, lets say to all the same houses getting power, that is an additional $86,619.<p>You also probably want modern internet connectivity (cable, fiber) you are looking at another $10,000 per household.<p>Assuming there is 5% maintenance per year for all this infrastructure, that is $16,230.95 a year.<p>Meanwhile in a city, the amount each individual is paying is a tiny fraction, probably less than 0.01%. Sure a urban home is probably more expensive, but given that a rural home should incur a near $400,000 premium, you shouldn&#x27;t have been able to afford that rural home to begin with.<p>America stands to save hundreds of billions if we actually force the cost of living in rural areas to be what it is, rather than subsidize it.<p>People who live in the country side already use wells for water due to the cost of water + sewage, why is it any different for power?