Gordy
That used to be the case in much of the US. However east of the Rockies it seems that as these power companies merge, they are letting more of these patrol functions out for bid. And the bidding process is run by accountants. Hopefully that might change by as long as the accountants run things it will not.
I did backup pilot work for one power company, that is not just a small part of a larger power company. The patrol people were part of the corporate flight department. They had a flexible schedule that allowed them to vary the patrol schedule to account for weather and company needs. They were also allowed to explore areas near the lines to check on things like construction or other work they felt might endanger the lines.