Stop The Presses -- Best Story Of The Day -- August 27, 2015

I replied immediately after reading this article to the reader who sent me the link:

I'm sitting here in the Soutlake, TX, library and literally laughing out loud. Thank you.

Here's the link.  Here's the story:

Last September (2014), a couple in southern California installed 36 solar panels on their private residence.

But, the local utility company did not allow the couple to turn the panels "on." The panels would have generated 128 percent of what the couple needed -- 28 percent over what SolarCity estimated they needed.

SoCal Edison did not allow the Halls to activate their system because it exceeded state standards for residential energy production.

A rep for SoCal Edison says producing more solar energy than you can use makes you a potential energy retailer, with that title, you become subject to commercial business regulations and you’re eliminated from any homeowner rebates that come with going solar.

So after 11 months, the Halls don’t have a dime’s worth of savings for going solar. The couple cut ties with Solar City, who promised to remove the panels and restore the Hall’s home to its prior condition.

Remember when you were a kid and you took out your magnifying glass and tried to "burn" ants? That's the image I got when reading this story: these folks had a solar panel magnifying glass on their roof; turning it on, and the house heats up to 128% of what is needed.

Do I see a future Homer Simpson episode?

But apparently that wouldn't happen. According to the president of Sol Reliable, a solar energy company, when asked whether extra energy generated by solar panels could be a safety risk, this reply:

"It [the panel] will be generating electricity which most probably will just be wasted," Shetzen said.