How is having a backup generator wasteful? And with a screen name like "Think free or die" I would think that you'd support a person taking responsibility for themselves as a positive. Guess you don't really believe in that.
Hmmmm . . . I guess I shouldn't write before my second cup of coffee, since that wasn't clear. I have no issue with people buying generators, nor did I intend to suggest that. What is wasteful is putting above ground electric lines in places where they have a high probability of being damaged by normal local weather conditions. It is wasteful to put residents in a position where they are repeatedly without power and independently duplicating services that are being paid for through (expensive) utility bills. It would be more efficient to bury some of those lines and prevent the damage, disruption, and expense of frequent large-scale outages. If you've ever lived in a place with ice storms or tropical storms, you may have experienced this. As to being ugly - it's not the generators that are ugly. Overhead lines and poles are ugly, and in places like the front range, they mar otherwise gorgeous vistas. Yeah, I know we have photoshop now, but wouldn't it be nice if we didn't need to do that?