Yeah, you're going to run into that. Company's do hire off the street, degreed personnel, but it is a competitive market right now, so utilities can choose the very best from the litter. Typically it will be someone with some sort of relevant experience AND a degree, or Navy Nukes. I know some would choose a fresh out of college degree person over a 6 and out Navy nuke, but I don't think that is who you are competing against most, right now. You are competing against people that got out of the industry, for whatever reason, and now want back in since everything else out there sucks.
That said, you should be getting more call backs, so perhaps your resume needs tuned up.
Feel free to PM my for my email address if you'd like me to take a look at it.
Other than that, my advice is to simply keep trying. It is a hard industry to break into without a contact on the inside, or other sort of experience, but is most certainly can be done.
Justin