Unlike traditional "centralized" systems, distributed energy relies on small power-generating technologies like solar panels or ultra-efficient natural-gas turbines built near the point of energy consumption to supplement or displace grid-distributed electricity.
Grid architectures are designed to work around single-point failures, but in the 1989 event there were 15 major failures in a few seconds across the regional grid, and that was more than the system could cope with.
Section 248 leaves the responsibility of securing the power grid in the hands of the same owner-operators who have failed to harden their networks up to this point.