I study the electric power grid, from the perspective of a laborer
... the amount of work it takes to install power lines.
It is very labor intensive, the materials are heavy (ordinary 69K transmission poles 25,000 lbs set every 200 yards), the necessity of using air space between wire and ground dictates height of poles, the size and material of wire and switchgear vrs cost, the need for proper grounding even in non-conductive soils such as dry gravel and stone ....

The june 9, 2016 article on Vox suggests that we can simply re-engineer the grid ... the pole height, the wire, the substations, the grounding, over an entire expanse of geography of the nation ....
where is the money going to come from?

This is the problem faced in hawaii when solar panels produce more voltage on the line than the wire and airspace and ground can safely handle ... should they rebuild every line and raise the height of all the wires?
Or are they just going to do it every 20-40 years as lines and poles reach end of life expectancy?
Moreover the rooftop solar folks resist paying for grid improvements required to support their generation.