abandon the grid (Score 1)

Fuel cells are the answer. They are more efficient than anything on the grid or anything coming in small sizes. With efficiency in small sizes you can inexpensively protect against contingencies. If your single largest unit, generating at a 55% efficiency is only 250 kw, it doesn't cost much for 4 nines, 5 nines, 6 nines efficiency. More than half the grid is coal fired steam turbines at 30% efficiency (30% at your meter after a long trip down transmissiona and distribution and through a number of transformers). You can get a 60% efficiency in a couple of years with GE's H technology but you need a load of 400 MW to do it. Then you need 20% reserves (at least) and only get 3 nines reliability. And you need to build transmission (if you can get right of way) and subtransmission and distribution). By the time you are done you have paid $600/ kw for generation and $850 per kw for subtransmission and distribution. That's a total of $1,650. For $1250 you can get a FCEL fuel cell, and for a little more you can get 5 or 6 nines reliability. No transmission or distribution outages. No blinks. What more do you want.