That is actually a very good point that they cannot buy your power at retail. So change the way you measure the total energy flow and credit the outgoing at wholesale and keep the incoming retail retail the same. Just redesign the flow meter, it can't be that hard.
But if they only credit at the wholesale rate, it no longer becomes cost effective to the user. Hence, they just want more subsidies.
Yes, that's the answer, but the utilities can't do that. It's against the law. The net metering (utilities buying at retail) is law. The legislature set it up that way due to lobbying by the alternate energy lobby. They expect other ratepayers and stockholders to subsidize the power line infrastructure and having reserve capacity available at no cost to the solar owners.