For a few businesses such as those that have a "natural" monopoly like electric and water I personally favor the co-op business model where the customers are the stockholder-owners and all dividends are used to improve service and keep prices down.
Utilities could also be more flexible in siting their lines and pipes to accomodate the landowner,even if it is not quite the shortest route.High-voltage power lines too close to pre-existing building can cause odd shocks from the electric induced in metal fixtures or just block the owner's enjoyment of a previous view;some of these could be resolved by a different route less convenient to the road,for instance.
I have a few anecdotes:
A. The fellow who built a new home locally and went to the trouble of burying approved electrical cable from the house to the corner of his property nearest the power lines and the road;only to come home and find the utility had installed a couple of poles (one nearly in front of his entry door) because"that's the way we've always done it".
B. A particular slight curve in the road where ,as a result of numerous car wrecks,the utility pole has been replaced a dozen times in not many more years.Surely that pole ought to be replaced by one (or two) NOT in the predictable path of errant cars.
C. A natural-gas fired peak plant sited alongside a major thoroughfare (denying that land to more common retail, and using a fuel which could more efficiently heat homes or businesses directly .The plant has sat idle except for testing since its completetion several years ago,probably because it is too expensive to operate at normal rates.
Now that electric here is $65 for less than 500kwh rather than the $25 we used to pay for 1000 kwh, the incentive for alternates is stronger.
The problem with what you are saying is that it has nothing to do with this news article or this incident.