An Epic Battle Between Solar Firms and Power Utilities Could Leave One Side Unplugged

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20. Peak usage is around 8:00 PM and for most of the year

and the sun is below the horizon at that time, so solar does little to address peak.

The costs are for not only grid maintenance but to keep utilities ready to generate power when it's dark. That means keeping a plant functional, staffed, and maintaining generating equipment. If people were charged for what it truly costs to integrate their net-metered energy into the grid they would probably find themselves paying more than they were before panels, simply due to economies of scale.

I know you see "the nuclear industry" as one big boogeyman, but I really have no idea to whom you're referring. Utilities with nuclear plants? Nuclear equipment manufacturers? Nuclear fuel providers? Companies with "nuclear" in their name?

There is no way, shape, or form that independent operators can reduce the costs for utilities by breaking up service areas into bite-size chunks, any more than you can improve police protection by breaking up departments into privately-owned outsourced companies, or hand out school vouchers to improve education.
This is Tea Party territory that's not even worth venturing into.

And yes the poor do pay a disproportionate share of taxes, but acknowledging that only increases the burden.