Letter: Duke’s rooftop solar scheme would reduce benefits

Graphic by Lori Deaton

Solar energy offers a way to lower your electric bills and reduce your environmental impact. The recent Solarize Asheville-Buncombe project helped 180 homeowners install solar, and its Neighbor to Neighbor program continues helping low- and moderate-income families participate.

But Duke Energy has filed a proposal with the N.C. Utilities Commission that would eliminate the financial benefits of these systems and destroy several thousand good jobs. Five environmental organizations support the proposal. A far larger group of environmental and social justice organizations oppose it and need our help.

Much of solar’s rise has been enabled by a mechanism called net energy metering. NEM customers pay Duke a basic charge for using the wires ($14 per month for most) and sign away (without compensation) the renewable energy credits their panels generate. They can then subtract energy exported to the grid from energy imported from the grid, paying only for the net amount imported. Duke sells the RECs under the Renewable Advantage program to customers who mistakenly believe they’re helping build new solar capacity.

Duke and the American Legislative Exchange Council falsely characterize NEM as a “cross-subsidy,” a transfer from poorer ratepayers to wealthier solar owners. This lie has been repeatedly debunked. For example, see Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s report at [avl.mx/bbb].

Duke’s proposed tariff would force solar customers onto a complex new time-of-use billing scheme. Buried in the complexity are numerous mechanisms which drastically reduce the payback from solar. One (which, ironically, is touted by Duke’s allies as protecting existing solar owners) would reduce the financial benefit of my own existing system by over 30%. And that’s just one among many changes for the worse.

Supporters point to Duke’s promise of a revised solar rebate program offering more certainty than the present lottery. But the new rebate is not included in Duke’s present request, and approval of a separate request is highly unlikely. The rebate promised in South Carolina failed to materialize, under conditions very similar to those here.

The need for action is urgent. The NCUC will accept public comments until March 14. For information on how to comment, see [avl.mx/bba]. North Carolina’s rooftop solar installers, their thousands of employees and everyone who has already invested in solar will thank you.

— Dave Erb
Asheville

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2 thoughts on “Letter: Duke’s rooftop solar scheme would reduce benefits

  1. Voirdire

    Duke Power… Duke Energy…. whatever they go by as of late the bottom line is always the same… that they will do everything possible to maintain their monopoly over the grid…. home roof top panels are most decidedly NOT in their business plan… but your monthly power bill from them for life is. Duke produces and sells electrical power…. it doesn’t buy it back from a bunch of home owning eco warrior off-grid wannabes… it’s that simple.

  2. Dave Erb

    I’ve recently been informed that the deadline for comments from intervening parties (those bringing lawyers to the table) is March 29th, and that public comments are open indefinitely, but that public comments are more likely to be considered by the Utilities Commission if they’re received by the intervention deadline.

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