alt Hacker News> They kinda do via net metering tariffs and curtailment.
They don't own your system through net metering. If you have net metering you are using the grid as a battery, which has a cost - the infrastructure to support net metering isn't free. For a long time residential solar customers (like me) were being subsidized for the upstream load we put on the grid.
> Now if one could get spot prices and sell your power then...the system gets more interesting.
They are running a pilot of this in California (PG&E): https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/hourly-flex-pricin...
It's currently restricted to downstream only customers. They plan to admit net metering customers to the pilot in the future.
Even outside of that, anyone can enroll a home battery in a demand response program to make money by supporting the grid during peak hours.
That's why I said kinda. Strictly speaking, you are right. They don't own your system. However, to me if somebody controls what you do with your electricity I.e export or curtailed, you don't own the the work product of your system.
Virtual power plant model you've described doesn't exist here in New England. National grid has some sort of thing where you can make a grand or two a year if they can use your battery during times of high demand. If I could do it standard off-the-shelf components, I could put together such a system for $6,000 installed but the payoff is in the decade range since we have flat rate power through municipal buying co-op.