Had a guy buy a plant he literally could not fuel just to keep me off it. Rules-wise fine, vibes-wise it was like someone kicked the table leg.
I know Power Grid is an auction game and pain is the product, but where does your group draw the line between 'clever block' and 'I'm not inviting you back'?
We play on the US map, 4 players, usually replenishment stack B or C. Not sure if that matters for how cutthroat games get.
If you have a house norm that keeps auctions spicy without devolving into spite, drop it. My group needs therapy but I'll settle for a forum thread.