Utility to shut off power on purpose

America is essentially a third world country now.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company is the greedy firm that has a monopoly on electricity and gas service in much of California. PG&E's negligence has led to many devastating and deadly wildfires. In 2010, PG&E even caused a pipeline explosion in a residential San Bruno neighborhood that killed 8. Now PG&E plans to shut off power in several counties this week as temperatures are forecast to reach 100° F.

So PG&E refuses to provide the service it has a monopoly on.

But when the power isn't off, PG&E charges its customers exorbitant rates. Online comments say the company charges as much as $300 per month.

Some parts of the country and the world have been hotter than 100° lately, and the utility companies there haven't shut off the power - yet. So this is on PG&E - and the California Public Utilities Commission, which has a cozy relationship with PG&E. It was this relationship that enabled PG&E to neglect its pipeline, causing the 2010 blast.

That's in a state whose "leaders" are always making nasty online posts about the Rust Belt and Appalachia, but at least most of those states haven't banned as many books or jailed as many surfers as California has over the past few years.