Its a bird. Its a plane. Its the Greenpeace One World hot air balloon!
An Earth-shaped hot air balloon carrying the messages Solar works for all and Duke stop blocking solar floated today at sunrise beside the Charlotte skyline for all to see. The people of North Carolina are calling on Duke Energy to stop blocking our access to rooftop solar power.
Monopoly Utilities vs. Energy Democracy
North Carolina is one of only four states in the country where electric utilities have a true monopoly. That means one power company can provide electricity to all residential, commercial and industrial customers in a region. Not only is Duke Energy a monopoly utility in North Carolina, its also the biggest electric utility in the country.
As the only option for electricity service for most of our state, Duke has free reign to run its business at the expense of the people and the planet. Today, Duke Energy sources less than 1% of its electricity generation from renewable resource like wind and solar and only intends to increase this to a measly 4% over the next 15 years.
Currently, North Carolinians who want to power their homes and businesses with clean energy can only do so if they have the financial capital to purchase a solar system outright. Meanwhile in states like Texas, Arizona and Utah, people can work with a solar company to finance a no money down solar installation. These solar financing options are available in 25 states across the country and because of their success continue to spread. In another 21 states the status of these laws are unclear. Only four states, including North Carolina, have an outright ban on energy democracy.
Democratizing the Grid with Third Party Sales
The monopoly utility law in North Carolina denies homeowners, faith institutions, nonprofits, local governments, the military, and small and big businesses access to critical solar financing options. But there is a bill currently in the North Carolina legislature to undo this restriction–HB 245, the Energy Freedom Act. The Energy Freedom Act has bipartisan support and would make third party energy sales legal in North Carolina.
Third-party sales, sometimes known as no money down solar, is a common practice in many states that enables multiple energy companies to compete to provide electricity to customers. A company will install, monitor and repair a solar array on your home, business or faith institution and in return you buy the power generated by your rooftop from the company. The company owns the system for the duration of your contract, with an option for the homeowner to purchase, return, or continue the contract on the solar panels after the term is complete. Customers benefit immediately by having cheaper and cleaner electricity than what is currently provided by the monopoly utilities.
This model is also sometimes referred to as solar leasing, and is particularly beneficial to customers (like nonprofits, faith institutions and lower-income homeowners) who cannot afford a large upfront capital investment to install solar panels on their property. Instead, these customers are able to lease the systems in exchange for the power they provide. The savings are instantaneous, allowing the customer to see immediate reduction in the cost of their electricity. Its also practical for risk-averse entities or those not interested in taking on the responsibility of ownership because they do not have to do any upkeep on the systemthat responsibility falls to the solar company.
We know that open competition in the marketplace works. Thats why we can choose where we buy virtually all of our goods and servicesso why not for electricity?
The Power of the Sun
Diverse constituents from the Tea Party conservatives, to low income advocates, to environmentalists, to big businesses like Walmart have rallied behind HB 245, The Energy Freedom Act. The main opponents of the bill to date are, of course, monopoly utilities like Duke Energy.
Solar power works for everyone–everyone except for Duke Energy executives. Solar power provides economic and environmental benefits to the entire community, even if a customer decides not to go solar themselves.
Solar power provides cheaper electricity for both the customers who install the panels and the other members of the community. Duke has raised rates three time in the past four years to pay for polluting coal, nuclear and natural gas plants in NC. The companys 15 year plan details how the monopoly utility will continue to build needless polluting facilities and charge captive NC ratepayers with the bill. We could negate the need for new nuclear and gas power plants by installing more solar power instead. This means fewer electricity bill rate hikes and more affordable energy.
Solar provides other benefits to the broader community as well. In North Carolina, the solar industry currently employs over 5,500 people at 165 companies, and that will surely grow with increased access to more financing options. These are local jobs that cant be outsourced and range in skill level from construction workers who do the installations to engineers who design the systems.
Solar means healthier communities, as powering our homes, schools and businesses with clean energy will reduce the amount of air and water pollution from fossil fuel facilities. This has significance globally as we work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at an especially critical time.
Take Action
You can join the effort to hold monopoly utility, Duke Energy, accountable and demand they stop blocking the sun. Join our social media campaign here or send out your social media post with the tag #Istand4solar.
