A government-owned energy company in Queensland, Australia — a country with one of the highest rates of household solar energy use in the world — launched a year-long trial Monday of two U.S.-made solar battery storage systems as part of an investigation into how the company can reward users less reliant on its grid system.

Westar Energy in Kansas last week joined a long list of US utility companies that foolishly believe they can stand in front of tidal waves with their hands up like traffic cops to stop the rising threat rooftop solar poses to their business models.