LOL. "I see the argument going either way or, even, both." The argument whether or not to model real terms of business? That exercise is polemic. As is, ultimately, whether or not one's government permits individuals and firms "off-grid" energy generation.

"Energy" is both. The evidence is all around you. You have only to examine your monthly utility bills (to "discover" the values of variables of the supplier's model). To populate a database of rates, then deduce cost structure of one or more suppliers given prevailing commodity prices (e.g. spot, futures), requires some greater investigatory um rigor.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.