The U.S. Electrical Grid Sucks.

I read before that the U.S. electrical grid is much less stable than most other developed countries. Worse yet, it is becoming increasingly unreliable:

The U.S. power system is faltering just as millions of Americans are becoming more dependent on it—not just to light their homes, but increasingly to work remotely, charge their phones and cars, and cook their food—as more modern conveniences become electrified.

… Much of the transmission system, which carries high-voltage electricity over long distances, was constructed just after World War II, with some lines built well before that. The distribution system, the network of smaller wires that takes electricity to homes and businesses, is also decades old, and accounts for the majority of outages.

Self-reliance with batteries and generators is very inefficient and highly polluting compared to a good nationwide electrical grid.