> The majority of the cost of retail electricity is the maintenance of the transmission network I can't speak for the rest of the world, but here in Australia

> The majority of the cost of retail electricity is the maintenance of the transmission network I can't speak for the rest of the world, but here in Australia that's just not true, since the utility companies have a tendency to "gold plate" those grids. Here are some detail: http://www.smh.com.au/business/goldplating-the-power-grid-20120705-21iv5.html http://www.smh.com.au/business/goldplating-the-power-grid-20... When governments sold the grid to private enterprise they also allowed them to "gold plate" their systems and pass on the costs to the consumer. The result was massive increases in electricity prices. What those utility companies got wrong was thinking the consumer was a captive audience and would put up with those rip off prices. Those massive increases in electricity prices actually made solar an option, hence the massive addition rate in roof top solar here in Australia. What those utility companies have got wrong is the genie is now out of the bottle.