Duke Energy has a difference of opinion on consumer-generated electricity

Duke Energy CEO Jim Rodgers says that the green revolution will be funded -- and owned -- by the private sector.

Much of the green-utopia vision surrounding the smart grid involves decentralized power generation. Instead of a handful of power plants generating electricity on a scale of gigawatts, the smart grid talks about millions of rooftop solar installations sharing electricity laterally. This paradigm shift would make each homeowner operate like a miniature utility that sends excess power back to the grid for distribution where it is most needed.