The grid has maintenance costs, especially in California, where there is a lot of deferred maintenance that needs to be done. Distribution costs (which don't really scale with usage) are about 50% of the average monthly bill. Is the grid worth $50/month to you? It certainly is to me, and a $30-50/mo grid bill would be in line with the monthly connection costs for Gas and Water, which don't use the silly usage-only billing method that Electric does.