Solar Bill a Policy Shift

Solar bill seeks N.C. policy shift

Proposal aims to let solar producers sell electricity directly to consumers.

Apr. 30, 2011 - Green energy advocates are pushing for a change in state law to allow solar power producers to sell electricity directly to homeowners and businesses.

Such a change would upend North Carolina's longstanding energy policy, which currently doesn't let consumers choose their electricity provider. The proposal is opposed by the politically powerful electric utilities in the state that don't want to lose customers and sales revenue.

Customers today can buy electricity only from the power supplier in their region - which for most people in the state means Duke Energy, Progress Energy, rural electric cooperatives or municipal power agencies.

Solar power installations can sell electricity they generate but only to those power suppliers, which in turn resell the electricity to homeowners and businesses.

But solar power companies say they could tap into a potentially bigger market if they were also allowed to sell electricity directly to customers, as is allowed in at least 19 other states. {continued}