Don’t Let Duke Energy Squash Solar in NC!

Here’s why we’re saying Duke Energy hates solar and why it’s so important to support solar in North Carolina:

• As the rapid growth of solar power challenges coal, gas and nuclear plants, Duke Energy, the Koch Brothers, ALEC and other fossil fuel interests are pushing to kill the US solar industry.
• Duke is strangling the large-scale solar industry by arguing against a fair price for power from large generation projects and by ramping up red tape and fees.
• Meanwhile, Duke told North Carolina legislators it seeks to cut the amount credited to rooftop solar-owners who put excess electricity onto the grid for others to use (called net metering).
• Solar allows families, schools and businesses to take charge of their power bills while helping reduce pollution and slow climate change.
• Customers harnessing free sunshine threaten Duke’s monopoly business model of building expensive, polluting power plants that use as much water as entire cities – and raising our rates to do so.
• Rooftop and large-scale solar power have grown in North Carolina — adding thousands of jobs and other economic benefits — in spite of Duke Energy’s efforts.
• North Carolina has a huge, untapped solar resource, but Duke is granted monopoly control over captive customers, thus allowed to virtually lock out competition.

Duke claims that solar energy costs low-income customers more than others. But…

♦ Every new solar panel helps all customers by reducing Duke’s case to keep raising rates to build power plants we don’t need.
♦ If Duke cared about customers, it would stop blocking “third-party” solar installations. Other states allow solar companies to install rooftop solar at no up-front cost to the customer — then share the savings.

Additional Resources & Articles

• Information on our 2021 campaign to stop Duke Energy from forcing through revised net metering rules that would make rooftop solar more complicated and less economical for homeowners and businesses
• NC WARN’s 2015 Duke Hates Solar campaign
• Testimony on solar costs to the Utilities Commission in July 2014 by Nancy LaPlaca, our expert witness
• Stand up for Solar! campaign press release 
• “NC Utility Regulators’ Review of Industry Brings out Solar Supporters,” Charlotte Business Journal, July 8, 2014
• “NC Utilities Commission Weighs Value of Solar Energy,” ABC 11 Eyewitness News, July 7, 2014
• “NC Utilities Commission Reconsiders Solar Energy Cost, Possibly Affecting Industry’s Future,” WUNC, July 8, 2014
• “Utilities Commission Looks at Solar Power Rates,” News14, July 7, 2014
• “Setting the price of sunshine,” WRAL News, July 8, 2014

Learn more here!