Posts by Allison Eckley
Clean Energy Misunderstood: Debunking 5 Common Claims
Claim #1: NC’s Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) is a policy mandate and should be repealed; let the “free market” and customers decide the best energy sources. Fact: NC has a highly-regulated, monopoly controlled electricity market; thus, there is no free market. Since 2008, the REPS law has allowed limited market competition,…
Read MoreThe Amazon ‘Desert Wind’ Project: Benefiting Eastern NC and Beyond
Construction began this summer on the first utility-scale wind farm in North Carolina, and one of the first in the southeastern U.S., the Amazon Wind Farm US East, powered by Iberdrola Renewables. This exciting development in rural northeastern North Carolina will deliver significant local economic benefits over the life of the project, starting with a…
Read MoreStatement: Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit Sunset
NCSEA is disappointed to learn that the North Carolina General Assembly has neglected to include an extension of the Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit in its proposed budget. By allowing the credit to sunset at the end of the 2015, the legislature has sent a clear message to countless clean energy workers, investors, businesses and…
Read MoreGuest Blog Post: Keep Energy Discussions Transparent
Any public discussion about energy should be transparent. The August 27th letter to the Triangle Business Journal from Garland Tucker III and Francis DeLuca (“Just Say No to Renewable Energy Credits”), wasn’t transparent and, if left unresponded to, will mislead the public. First, their letter referenced a Bill Gates interview in the Financial Times to…
Read MoreNCSEA Market Intelligence Team Unveils Interactive Net-Metering Map
NCSEA works to provide reliable, current information about our state and region’s growing clean energy economy. Our Market Intelligence team plays a key role in this effort by serving as our hub of information and insights about the energy marketplace. The latest resource to come from our Market Intelligence team is an interactive map detailing net metering…
Read MoreCarolina Journal Advocates for Nanny-State, Government Overreach Based on Input from Europe
In its latest attempt to attack the growing solar industry in North Carolina, State Lacks Guidelines for Safe Solar Equipment Disposal, the supposedly conservative Carolina Journal cites sources that are encouraging North Carolina’s legislators to follow sweeping EU-wide directives. Rather than encouraging European-style government oversight and regulation, it would be wise to spend some time…
Read MoreNCSEA’s Regulatory Team Argues for Higher Avoided Cost Rates for QFs
NCSEA works daily to help make tomorrow’s utility a reality today. Our regulatory team puts this mission into practice at the NC Utilities Commission, where the team regularly presents persuasive evidence and high-caliber written arguments that affect sustainable energy policy action. The team’s June 22 avoided cost comments, which ask the NCUC to reconsider the…
Read MoreNCSEA’s Filing on CHP Draws Broad Support
NCSEA’s regulatory team is collaborating with stakeholders to make the utility of the future a reality today. NCSEA’s request for topping cycle CHP to qualify as an energy efficiency measure has gained the support from a diverse spectrum of stakeholders. The latest compilation of letters of support were filed with the Commission yesterday. The individual…
Read MoreRegulatory Team Update: Annual Duke Energy Carolinas Rider Hearings
Monday morning, counsel for NCSEA appeared before the NC Utilities Commission (“Commission”) to participate in evidentiary hearings for the annual calculations of three bill riders for Duke Energy Carolinas (“DEC”) customers. The three riders allow DEC to recover costs for (1) fuel for traditional generation, (2) demand-side management and energy efficiency programs, and (3) Renewable…
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions about Renewable Energy in North Carolina
Do I have the option to buy power directly from a renewable energy company or another company of my choice? No. North Carolina has a highly-regulated electricity market where only utilities can sell power directly to consumers, which was established by the 1965 Territory Act. This is why when you move to a new house or…
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