I don't know if there is a presence in your area, but Solar City provides solar panels free of charge the last time I checked. You would still pay electric bills, but I'm assuming at a lower cost. Solar in California is a lot cheaper than being on grid. Yeah, it's not something you would own outright, but at the same time you aren't paying a fortune to install.
RE: Off Grid vs. On Grid: Should We Be Going Off Grid?