I checked the specs and it referred to this as a "PEBKAC error"

While I agree that Xcel shouldn't have to pay transmission costs to customers who spin the meter backwards, isn't it just as wrong to charge them for transmission costs? What I mean is: if you owned a power plant and you sold the electricity to Xcel, you would be paid by the generating rate, but I don't think that you would be charged the transmission costs as well. Effectively, what Xcel would be doing if they charged the fee or charged transmission costs to those customers, would be double dipping. Because not only would they charge the source for the transmission, but they'd still be charging the consumer for transmission as well.

FTA:

The colony may be the largest of its type ever known for any insect species, and could rival humans in the scale of its world domination.

PHP in action, moar like PHP inaction, amirite?