That cost to consumers (in Michigan) of 19.35 cents per kilowatt hour the cost of 1400 megawatts would be $270,900 so over 24 hours the plant could generate a 6.5 million dollar input.

 

Ohio solar folks might not be so happy if their net metering gets whacked down.
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles...r-compensation

There is some merit to their argument.
When solar was a small and in the noise so to speak,, net metering didn't matter much.
The user got the deal of being able to capture solar energy.
As the market has developed and solar is becoming a larger and larger source of electricity it does create an imbalance for the utilities.
They need to be able to source power 24/7. Those big generation plants don't flip on and off like a light switch. In fact some turbines can take days to spin up or down.
So providing power during daylight hours doesn't deal with night time.

The more I think about it, the engineer is thinking about a progressive falloff.
Limit the excess energy sell back to a percentage of the total bill.
Spread the calculations over the course of a year.
Credits would be limited to no more than the total years consumption.
You could bank credits in the summer and use them in the winter.
But the total of your credits would not result in a refund.
I'm also chewing on this with respect to battery deployment.
Is selling night time power the same as daytime power?

And then there is a whole control of power flowing into the grid.
Does the utility need control of deployment of that power, and does that affect the rate they pay for it?

Just random late night thoughts.
Typically when I do the most creative thinking.

 

But it's not that late. Not yet, for us retired types. I'm looking at my schedule and I have to get a flu shot at 11:15 am and the wife said, are you going to be able to make it?

 

^
Night owl!!??

 

I just had a review done by a reputable local solar/PV/Tesla Powerwall company. The big issue is the state (California) has changed the how the rates are paid. It changes the calculus of having solar.
You are now grandfathered in for 20 years if you have a pre-2023 system. Mine went in in 2009. Four more years of good rates paid during the day but I am not a net producer. Any change to an old system or new installation has very small rate payment/credit for daytime power and then jacks up cost during the evening when solar is zero. Having a Powerwall 3 helps to give you power back when it is most expensive. For me, the cost of putting in a battery (and losing the good grandfather rates) is a 16 year break even point. I will be ready to sell the house or be dead by then.

The solar company came right out and said it is better for me to do nothing and keep the good rates going for four more years. Revaluate then as the state will probably change things up again. There is wasted/excess solar and wind power at times here but then the crunch happens at night when the power companies/state needs reliable 24/7 power.

 

Electricity prices by State:

Electricity Rates by State (January 2026)

 

Ours went up because the utilities have to pay the fines for bribing the state legislators!

 

Look at Massachusetts coming in second following the great state of Hawaii. Our neighbor CT is right on our tail.

 

Here in Calif. I think most power co. sell power for less at night. I know SMUD (Sacramento) does and if you charge your car at night it's even cheaper. My son bought a 2018? Nissan Leaf that he uses to run his house when the weather gets hot during the day and charges it at night when the rates are much lower. I think he has a level 2 charger at his home. He has some college friends that started a business on how to lower your power bills by using your car for when the rates are the highest and recharge when there the lowest. He seems to like it.

Rod

 

What is an electric rate. Got 30 Tesla solar panels on my roof and get a few checks yearly from my electric supplier.