Most people don't work from home. As a result, much of their electricity usage is at night and on the weekends. If they go solar, their usage is still at night, when the sun isn't shining. If they don't have a battery array to store the electricity they are making when the sun is shining, they are still buying electricity from the power company at the power company rates. The power company may be buying power from the customer's solar grid, but at line $0.10 on the dollar.
Seems I read the power companies are lobbying congress so they do not have to purchase your excess. Also, increasd minimum charges if you're connected to the grid...already happening.
What would happen is the country as a whole magically reduced electricity consumption by half? Rates would double. I would expect the "because we can fees" to increase, as well. Here are a few examples:
Florida Gross Receipts Tax – A tax is imposed on gross receipts
from utility services that are delivered to retail customers in Florida, in
accordance with Chapter 203 of the Florida Statutes. Utility
companies collect the tax from all customers, unless exempt, and
remit to the state.
Florida State Tax – A tax imposed on every person who engages in
the business of selling or renting tangible personal property at retail in
the state, in accordance with Chapter 212 of the Florida Statutes.
Franchise Fee – A fee levied by a municipality for the right to utilize
public property to provide electric service. The fee is collected by
Tampa Electric and paid to the municipality.
Fuel Charge – Cost of fuel used to produce electricity you purchased.
Fuel costs are passed through from fuel suppliers to our customers
with no markup or profit to Tampa Electric.
Municipal Public Service Tax – Many municipalities levy a tax on
the electricity you use. It is collected by Tampa Electric and paid to
the municipality.
Rate Schedule – The amount (rate) you pay depends on your
customer category. The cost of providing service varies with the
customer group.
Share – A Tampa Electric program administered by the Salvation
Army and the Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg that
helps pay energy bills of customers in need. If you choose to
contribute, your contribution is tax deductible and is matched by
Tampa Electric.
Storm Protection Charge – The cost of additional hardening
efforts to further protect the power grid from hurricanes or other
extreme weather events.
Sun SelectSM – The cost of producing energy you purchased from
dedicated solar generation facilities. You pay no fuel charge for the
Sun Select portion of your bill.
Sun to GoSM – The amount of electricity purchased from solar
generating sources serving the Sun to Go program, which provides
optional renewable energy purchases in 200 kWh blocks.
