PG&E will shut off power for nearly 800,000 customers starting Wednesday

[robkelk]

Why are people doing business with a power grid, other than as insurance against emergencies?

Traditionally because batteries are actually pretty terrible at storing power

Traditionally, yes. But they've been getting better for years. (Compare the battery life of a modern cellphone with the battery life of a flip-phone, or the range of a Tesla with the range of Neil Young's electric car, for examples.)

and night still happens.

That's what the batteries are for.

Also, apartment buildings have densities that make getting power for everyone in them from the roof of the building tricky.

Yeah, that's still a big issue.