Without going too much into detail, such a big deletion has a variety of benefits compared to deleting the ways directly before retracing. Learned this while mapping transmission in FL,GA,SC,NC&AL.
(If wished, I can also go into more detail)

I will not revert the entire edit here, but I searched using the Osmose QA tool for all unconnected poles/towers and restored the ways with more than 10 or so in a row.
https://www.osm.org/changeset/135216271
The rest is going to be properly retraced, just like I did already in the states mentioned above.

Further, I don't see why this is "flat out unacceptable". My point is: Those trashy ways (an actual shame for OSM) were all over the state for 15 years, if they are gone but a handful of power towers will be orphaned for a few months, then that's not the end of the world. 
But that's just my view.

Greetings