The investor-owned private sector is the one that has that capacity. Traditionally, public utilities and rural cooperatives have provided power poles and electricity to areas private utilities haven't wanted to serve. In some cases, the same goes for telecommunications services. The Benton Rural Electric Association now provides Internet service to some areas it believes lack affordable service. But any more, Brunell said, companies are becoming more willing to move into rural areas.
Public utilities say the new services are needed to compete in a deregulated electricity industry.
Their biggest fear is that customers like Clark will leave the utilities after power has been reserved for them. Other customers would then have to pay to make up the difference. They're concerned about creating strandedcosts. To keep their customers, utilities want to develop new services, in part, to create a better connection with them. Tacoma and Richland are putting that to use.