[BipolarBob]

Are electrical providers expected to invest many billions of dollars in a system to ward off a once in a century record breaking cold snap like this, passing that infrastructure investment to the end-users?

The investment has already been made. Shutting down coal fired power plants that exceed EPA's very very strict standards make no sense when China build power plants with NO emission devices and their economy is kicking our butt and they have electricity when we don't. Volcanoes produce thousands of times more emissions than power plants. All it takes is someone to say NO to the EPA or we'll secede.

[fwdude]

The investment has already been made. Shutting down coal fired power plants that exceed EPA's very very strict standards make no sense...

I’ll give you that. But is that really the bulk of the energy woes that we’re facing now? Don’t states still have the last word on what they’ll allow if not on federal property?