Can distributed energy work around American utilities?

US distributed energy scaling is blocked less by technology than by billing structure and meter-data access, not by lack of devices.

• UK vs US structure: Nick Chaset says Octopus's UK success rests on forced supplier choice, open flexibility markets, consolidated billing, and smart meters reading every 30 minutes — conditions mostly absent in the US outside Texas.
• Texas is Octopus's only US retail foothold: customer base doubled in 12 months, but massive utility-scale solar/storage has 'destroyed' intraday price volatility, undercutting the economic case for residential flexibility despite force choice existing there.

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