[aerohead]

The solution is to re-regulate the electric power industry, nationalizing all the infrastructure, with reimbursement. End all advertising. Fire all redundant administrative staff, and centralize operations, cutting operating costs to the bone.
As a citizen-owned utility, as it was during the golden-age of the US economy ( anyway), the engineers wouldn't be hamstrung by corporate bean-counters, obsessed only with quarterly profits to keep speculating day-traders invested in the shares.
If maintaining the grid, throughout a Carrington Event-like experience was deemed a priority, then the citizens would already be in a state of mind which resonated with a rate scale, commensurate with maintaining a stockpile of transformers required to bring the grid back online, in an expeditious manner.
Training would be a resident fixture within the rotating 'lineman' community. Parts would always be on hand, at the ready.
NASA would provide instantaneous notification of an impending event, leaving personnel as much possible lead time to mobilize.
Nationally - owned manufacturing could provide the hardware, at cost. No salesmen. No middlemen. No dozens of corporate logos. No television, radio, magazine, newspaper, ads. No junk mail. No lobbyists. No regulatory commission. Inverted-rate scale for all customers.