While I’m in general agreement with what you’ve written, I wanted to make one clarification:
It is in only a few states where “net metering” laws force the utility to pay retail rate for power from “home power producers.”
A map of metering regs for the US is here:
http://www.dsireusa.org/documents/SummaryMaps/NetMetering_Map.ppt
OK, in many of the states where you see “*”, the regulations require IOU’s (Investor-owned Utilities) to buy at retail rates, or rates higher than “avoided cost” rates.
In many of those states, the rural co-operatives are either exempt from having to buy user-generated power, or they need pay only “avoided cost” rates, and then often only up to a certain amount of kWh per month.
Same deal for solar power.
One more issue to add to your list: safety. The home-spun power system must disconnect from the grid if the grid goes down. Otherwise, linemen’s lives are at risk.
Only a few?
The map you linked to say 42 of 50 states have net metering. Though many have limits, I would say that is a majority.