That solar panel looks useful.
Since I have never gone out in nondescript black clothing at night to destroy these things, I can't say from firsthand knowledge....
But yes, yes they are. They make great trickle chargers for large batteries that only get used intermittently. Or string several together and enjoy an ebike battery charger. I have a similarly sized and shaped panel I found somewhere that I use to charge my 18650 bank.
If I had to guess, it's because up until now you've held the assumption that the people in power know what they're doing for the most part, and nobody was a dying felon in his last years on earth terrified of going to prison for raping children.
Now you are under no such illusions, and the people in charge ARE dying felons that rape children and have no morals, and the government doesn't even want to try and check or balance itself.