Jim Warren

Earlier this year, Faith Community Church in Greensboro asked nonprofit NC WARN to install a 5-kW solar system on its roof and to sell it the resulting clean power at a rate that would save it money. Why would clean solar power placed on a small North Carolina church be a threat to utility behemoth Duke Energy?

Duke Energy has filed a complaint against NC WARN, an environmental group, for distributing solar power to a church in Greensboro. Duke Energy says state law prohibits third-party sales.

The nation’s largest utility company has responded aggressively to the solar energy experiment at Faith Community Church, urging state regulators to impose a fine “up to $1,000” per day against the nonprofit group selling solar panels to the small Greensboro congregation.

Duke Energy, which last year reported a profit of almost $2 billion, is seeking a $120,000 fine against a nonprofit for trying to undermine the company’s solar power sales monopoly in North Carolina.

Duke Energy has asked state regulators to fine advocacy group NC WARN for selling solar power to a Greensboro church instead of Duke, as state law generally requires.

Duke Energy says the state Utilities Commission should fine an advocacy group $1,000 a day for selling power from solar panels to a Greensboro church.