I wonder how much of the understanding and "100 years experience" of building power distribution networks is based on the fact that affordable, distributed, small-scale power generation is not possible, mandating large-scale, centralised generation and correspondingly complicated transmission. Perhaps the power generation problem needs the attention of a fresh set of eyes.
You wrote "fact" when you should have written "assumption". There are plenty of examples* of "affordable, distributed, small-scale power generation." If our governments would more pro-actively encourage (e.g. subsidize) local power generation via renewable energy sources (e.g. solar, wind, hydro) it would go a long way towards solving this problem. * examples: http://www.solarhost.com/about.htm http://www.solarliving.org/overview.cfm Rich