Stan....if Elon Musk or other companies manage to make solar battery backup systems viable & affordable-enough for the average homeowner , that will constitute the final piece of the puzzle in making solar completely independent of utility companies , so we can eventually tell them to buzz-off...at least as far as 'electric' is concerned anyway.
This same proposition by the utility giants just came up here in California , but was fortunately shot-down by the CA regulators. But I would expect it to resurface across the country with greater success , given the hefty (influence peddling) 'buying power' of large utilities. I seem to recall there being some discussion of the Feds getting involved to mandate solar-friendly laws to override this problem , but like everything on the Fed-level , I won't be holding my breath. In the meantime , as shown here , the Nevada PUC is catching hell over their new mandates & is busy back-pedaling...for the time being anyway. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/n...g-decision