Getting the lights on should be a player event. Find parts, fix stuff, run wire, etc. I understand the logistics of powering a city. It is in fact a daunting process that is probably beyond the scope of most of the people playing this game. However, so are most of the actions undertaken in this game. Like flying a helicopter, precision shooting, setting a satchel charge without blowing yourself to kingdom come, surviving oudoors, I mean, "realisticly" doesn't really apply to most of what goes on in this game. I would hazard a guess that half the people playing this game aren't old enough to drive, and of those who are, a good number of them can't operate a manual transmission. It is all about suspension of disbelief, this is a fictional game in a fantasy setting, reality should at best ride shotgun to gameplay. I don't think you should be able to flip a switch and the whole map lights up, but I think that you should be able to fix things in a series and light up certain areas. I mean, lets face it, this game needs a few more things to do.
