Providing power to homes is the job of the govt. I don't think it can be considered as 'freebies'. It's the responsibility of the state to use tax money to ensure improvement in the living conditions of all it's citizens.
This is far from universally accepted. If anything, as countries modernise and their institutions develop, the trend appears to lean towards the state not doing this.
What countries have developed electric infrastructure (or really, infrastructure in general) without the state being heavily involved? Not trying to be dismissive, I haven't seen anything about this and my quick attempts at googling don't seem to turn up anything.
You know, Florida has an electricity generation company called FPL and it is private and because of the lobbying, the people of Florida coudn't use their solar panels when they faced the hurricane a few weeks back.
I am happy that our govt controls electricity, roads, railway because if they don't then such things will be run for profit and there will be lobbying which is never good for a democracy.
