Okay. Let's look at this a bit closer.
First of all, "ignorant fool" is not a phrase I used, nor would I use it at this point. Ignorance is a condition that can quickly be cured by education. It is only when one refuses to educate oneself that one becomes a fool.
Free solar panels from the government -- they don't exist. What DOES exist is a government rebate program that can, under certain circumstances, save you up to 50% of the cost. The aim of this program -- to conserve the energy available on the grid and eliminate, or at least delay, the need for adding hyper-expensive additional generating capacity, most of which will just sit there doing nothing except during exceptional periods of high demand. If you're off the grid, you're not eligible because your use of them will not contribute toward that end.
Why do they want the ability to shut you off if you are on the grid and install panels, or a backup-generator, for that matter? Load control and safety. The system can only handle so much energy at one time; start adding outside, unknown sources to the system in an uncontrolled manner, and you risk overloads. When a storm comes through and disrupts power in a part of your neighborhood, they shut off the entire neighborhood before repairs begin. They want to be able to shut down your independent source of power, too, so they know that no external source of power is charging the lines when the line crews begin work to restore service. Your personal freedom does not extend to the right to electrocute power company employees.
Why didn't they go in to more detail when they sent you the offer? I don't know, except they are human and no one can always anticipate every conceivable objection to any proposal made. I DO know that if you bother to contact the company and ask they will give you more information, because that's what I did when the offer first came to me. I was rewarded with voluminous printed information, plus a visit from a company representative who patiently, thoroughly and pleasantly answered every question I could come up with. I've had numerous gripes and tussles with my power company through the years, but this was not one of them. I weighed all the information, opted in, and have no regrets whatsoever.
When all is said and done, you still have the right to take it or leave it, at least for now. If enough people opt in, then maybe you can avoid it becoming mandatory in the future -- that's what has happened around here. So why not avail yourself of the opportunity to learn more before rejecting it out of hand?
