Our lives depend on Energy - ALL aspects of our lives depend on it to feed our computers, our communications, and our "life support" systems. When a region is hit with disaster, the speed which power is returned determine the safety. Once power is restored, essential services return as well. Our power lines in aprox. 90% of the US are on poles in the air - leaving them exposed to poor environmental conditions, which endanger communities. Burying these wires into safe environment IN ADDITION to communications wires will make climate conditions safer AFTER catastrophic events because these ingredients for safer life are protected from harm.
Power plants NEED to be planned for 1/3 use to give triple redundancy in case of outages. One plant goes down - two plants rise to 1/2 capacity.