Goals for the electrical system of the future?

Doug, the only factor that's different about public electricity now vs. in 1935 is the threat of climate change, and though using the atmosphere as a dumping ground for the byproducts of generating electricity is no longer a satisfactory solution, other priorities remain the same:

1) FDR believed access to electricity is a fundamental right in a free society. Today, I think most would agree.

2) A perfectly fair pricing system doesn't exist. The goal should continue to be offering the "least unfair" pricing for all customers.

3) Highly reliable system, with a reasonable level of resiliency? Check. And Check.

4) Maintaining a resilient electrical grid is a cost, as much as generating electricity, as much as maintaining transmission. Asking customers to use less electricity during peak demand foists the cost on them, with implications for social justice (it's well-established that low-income customers are disproportionately affected by "demand/response" programs). From a POV of economics, the most efficient cost allocation is to the provider, which can take advantage of economies of scale to achieve reliability en masse.

5) Electrical grids, like highways or municipal waters systems, must be built to accommodate future needs. A system that's adequate today will be inadequate tomorrow.

6) The difference between needs and wants is an exercise in semantics, but traditionally utilities have addressed consumer wants (why consumption is known as "demand").

7) "Are Acts of God a reason for the system to go out?" is a question you would need to ask him/her.

8) Price should be proportional to quality - ensured by choice in a free market, and regulators in electricity and other natural monopolies.

9) Batteries store energy, the grid does not. With electricity it matters - a lot.

10) Depends. PG&E, with 16 million customers, isn't a local utility for anyone. The obligation to serve electricity rests on many entities, including the utility, the RTO, the state Public Utility Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and several others.

Seems to me reliable energy at a reasonable price should be the guiding principle. How that is achieved is more of a regional consideration, largely as a result of access to energy sources, e.g. natural gas, hydro, nuclear, coal, green resources, etc.

Worrying about the distant future (particularly the planet’s climate) is an exercise in futility, as the uncertainties are so immense. Spending massive sums of today’s dollars to combat distant perceived threats makes little economic sense because the money is better spent on near term real problems.

Based on the historical record, technological innovations will produce more efficient production and use of energy. These consideration by themselves inherently reduce emissions.