The idea of power leveling is to allow new players (such as myself) the chance to come into the game and play with their friends at their level rather than playing solo for 6-8 months to get there.

With the negative press out there on this game about how it bombed out of the gate, SE needs to put these incentives in to build their player base. Without new players, these servers will get shut down and no one will be playing. Keep in mind also that once they overcome the initial negative reputation of the game, it will revert to pay as you play. SE is a business and they need income to pay their employees. They need a return on their investment.