All of the various shutdowns did the job of protecting the equipment.
I don't know why everyday localized shutdowns caused a nationwide failure, but I fear that the changes the Feds want to put in will end up preventing companies from getting off the grid in emergencies. That would cause damage to the equipment (generators trying to run at the wrong frequency, transmission lines handling too much power) and what required hitting the reset button this time will cause a much longer term failure next time as major equipment has to be repaired or replaced.
One of the things which need to be done is building more localized power generation, so the regional grid is used for temporary generation/use imbalances instead of constant movement of power from one area to another. Another is a quicker restart cycle if the grid shuts down again, so a regional power outage lasts an hour instead of a day.
Just so. But that violates the "not in my backyard" principle which governs in most neighborhoods today.