Posts by Allison Eckley
NCUC Rules on Duke Energy Solar Rebates Program: Takeaways for the Clean Energy Community
Solar energy is a driving force behind North Carolina’s growing clean energy economy, which has advanced tremendously in the past decade. In large part, the growth that spurred North Carolina to second in the nation for installed solar is thus far attributed to the rapid deployment of utility-scale solar installations. Customer-sited solar, meanwhile, has also continued to grow…
Read MoreNCUC Rules on Duke Energy Progress Rate Case: Takeaways for the Clean Energy Community
Last summer, Duke Energy Progress (DEP) filed an application to increase their retail rates with the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC). As advocates for clean energy, NCSEA pays close attention to any changes in utility rate structures; in particular, how the proposed changes impact access to energy efficiency and renewable energy options for customers. Accordingly, NCSEA…
Read MoreKeeping NC Open for Business: NCSEA, Fortune-500 Companies, Military & Universities Team Up to Improve Access to Renewable Energy
It’s well-known that countless influential business, healthcare, and education leaders have made a commitment to power their facilities with clean energy – many of them working toward a goal of 100% renewable energy usage in the near future. This movement has especially taken shape in the last several years, most notably as Fortune 100 and…
Read MoreThe Current State of Community Solar in North Carolina
At NCSEA, we are extremely proud of the fact that North Carolina is ranked second in the nation for total installed solar PV capacity. However, for many North Carolina renters or homeowners who don’t have the necessary sunny sight conditions or the upfront cash, the prospect of “going solar” seems out of reach. Thankfully, over…
Read MoreAdvocating for NC’s Electric Consumers in the Duke Energy Progress Rate Case: Recap
As you know, NCSEA is actively engaged in both Duke Energy subsidiaries’ rate cases to pursue issues that matter to our members and further the best interests of North Carolina electric consumers through more clean energy options. (For a recap of the Duke subsidiaries’ rate increase requests, read more on our blog.) NCSEA’s regulatory team and our extended team of…
Read MoreTake action: Oppose the US Senate’s BEAT provision
As you are likely aware, recently the U.S. Senate passed their version of tax reform legislation. The bill, which differs from the previously-passed legislation in the U.S. House, now must be negotiated and reconciled between the two Chambers in the coming days with the goal of a final bill going to the President before Christmas. While NCSEA…
Read MoreNCSEA Statement: ITC Suniva Ruling, Solar Tariff
Last week, the International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in favor of Suniva and SolarWorld Americas that imported solar equipment has caused injury to the US solar industry. As a result, the ITC is expected to soon recommend to the White House a tariff on foreign-produced solar products. NCSEA is concerned by this decision, as we…
Read MoreDOE Grid Study: A Missed Opportunity
This week, the Department of Energy released their much-anticipated study on grid resiliency and reliability. Unfortunately, the report follows a thesis that the reliable energy future we all want must still rely primarily on traditional, or “baseload”, forms of energy generation such as coal and nuclear. NCSEA shares the concerns of our partner organization, Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), that this…
Read MoreRecap of Energy Policy Council Meeting -August 16, 2017
This morning (August 16th), the Energy Policy Council (EPC) held its inaugural meeting under the Cooper Administration. The council met to consider adopting policies and goals to improve energy infrastructure that will be incorporated into its planning and reporting cycle. NCSEA staff, board members, and members were not only in attendance, but prominent presenters during the…
Read MoreNCSEA Wins Petition to Qualify Topping Cycle as Energy Efficiency
Combined heat and power (CHP) has been a topic of discussion for many years in North Carolina’s energy efficiency sector — particularly, topping cycle CHP because of its high efficiency and technical potential in the state. The statutory language to qualify as an energy efficiency measure has been in debate among parties, and over the past year, NCSEA has argued that existing NC Utilities Commission…
Read More