Dive Brief:
- Duke Energy plans to ask North Carolina regulators for permission to cut how much the utility pays customers with rooftop solar.
- “The cost of solar panels and installations is coming down at a pace that we don’t believe subsidies will be required any longer,” Duke CEO Lynn Good said.
- Solar advocates argue that Duke's plan could put a halt to residential and commercial rooftop development, which totals about 11.5 MW.
Dive Insight:
The debate last fall in Arizona over rooftop solar set the stage for state regulators around the U.S. to start looking at how to fairly pay for rooftop solar. Utilities contend that current policies are overly generous to rooftop solar and shifting costs to non-solar ratepayers. Regulators will be taking a sharp look at the costs and benefits of rooftop solar. Solar advocates contend that the benefits of rooftop solar are not being fully accounted for.
