Up until ECN, I thought that
everybody did services like we do here in California
The idea of SE Cable run on the exterior of a building I thought laughable at best, much like a piece of "Giant Romex".
It all depends on what you're accustomed to, and what your climate dictates.
I think the siding issue here is akin to saying conduit can't be run inside a wall. If it's going to cause a fire, then there's much bigger problems than a piece of siding...S