[Boot Hill]

"Because that's what utility monopolies do. They suck up your cash, then figure out how to suck up your neighbor's cash."

While I can appreciate your cynicism, your statement is incorrect when applied to utilities, which are highly regulated monopolies. Utilities want nothing to do with solar power because they recognize the economic inefficiencies inherent in such power generation. But they are being forced by governmental regulatory agencies (public utility commissions) to front for the green-solar lobby and are being forced to promote and pay for (through government mandated fee increases) these goofy power schemes.

These "fees" are nothing more than increased taxes coming through the backdoor of, and being collected by, the utilities, and have nothing to do with whether the utilities are monopolies.

--Boot Hill

[TChris]

These "fees" are nothing more than increased taxes coming through the backdoor of, and being collected by, the utilities, and have nothing to do with whether the utilities are monopolies.

That's probably true. However, these highly regulated monopolies have all figured out some ingenious ways of getting the $$ they want. One way is to set up leasing companies to buy equipment which is then leased to the utility. The leases show up as increased operating expenses which justify increased rates when they go before the Public Service/Utility Commisions.

Both lib government folks and greedy utility managers have their eyes on your wallet and mine.

[Dog Gone]

It costs as much energy in the manufacture of solar panels than one will ever produce during its entire lifetime.

So it's hard for me to see their value except in niche situations where other power sources aren't available.

The public should think about this. If it costs a barrel of oil to produce a barrel of oil, what's the point?