The grid doesn&#x27;t need your energy most of the time, but when it <i>does</i> need your energy it tends to be right around when you&#x27;re giving it, because peak solar production lines up pretty well (admittedly not perfectly) with peak electricity consumption.<p>If having a bunch of household solar saves the power company from spinning up expensive peaking plants, you&#x27;re saving them a ton of money and performing a great service.<p>Of course, if enough households have solar then you&#x27;ll exceed what the system needs even at peak times. But we&#x27;re so far away from that point that there&#x27;s no reason to discuss it in the context of current policy.<p>The big question to me in this case is, when the power company buys back solar power at wholesale rates, are they paying average wholesale rates, or are they actually paying the marginal wholesale rates at the time in question? How well do their retail rates reflect their peak marginal costs?<p>In many places, residential rates can end up below cost at peak times, even with time of use metering. In a situation like that, switching from net metering to paying true wholesale rates could be a net gain for homeowners with solar. But I have a feeling the setup here is not quite so fair.