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Roughly $375 million. That’s how much North Carolinians are expected to save by Duke Energy purchasing solar power from independent power producers over the next 20 years, according to an April report submitted to the North Carolina Utilities Commission. We can thank clean energy, and House Bill 589 (HB589), for these savings. North Carolina has…

On April 9, 2019 the Independent Administrator (IA) for the Competitive Procurement of Renewable Energy (CPRE) released its report on proposals selected for the Tranche 1 Request For Proposal (RFP). By way of reminder, House Bill 589 required Duke Energy to procure 2,660 MW of renewable energy over a 45-month period from small power producers through the CPRE process. Accion Group, was…

On Monday, April 17, 2019, Representatives John Szoka (R- Cumberland), Wayne Sasser (R- Cabarrus, Stanly), and Bobby Hanig (R- Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico) filed House Bill 750, which will create more freedom for the placement of residential solar installations.  Currently, deed restrictions, covenants, and binding agreements, such as those made with a homeowner’s association (HOA), can prohibit residential solar installations that…

Then  On February 10th, 2016, Representative Jimmy Dixon (R- Duplin, Onslow) delivered the opening remarks to the Environmental Review Commission (ERC) about the disposal of solar panels, and the Commission proceeded to learn about the decommissioning process. NCSEA, the NC Public Utilities Public Staff, First Solar, and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) presented to the Commission in order to…

Earlier today, Sen. Harry Brown (R-Onslow) filed SB377, in an attempt to “prohibit construction, operation, or expansion of wind energy facilities” in certain areas of the state. In addition to Sen. Brown, the bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Paul Newton (R- Cabarrus, Union) and Sen. Norman W. Sanderson (R- Carteret, Craven, Pamlico). Below is a…

At NCSEA, we strive to create a more diverse and inclusive clean energy workforce. By now you have (hopefully!) heard about our Women in Clean Energy (WICE) initiative. By fostering a supportive network for self-identifying women in the North Carolina clean energy industry, we hope to create a space that allows women to reach their…

An important component of the utility ratemaking process includes the biennial avoided cost proceedings. As a reminder, avoided cost is defined as the incremental cost that a utility avoids by purchasing power from a qualifying facility (QF) rather than generating power itself or purchasing it from another source. These rates are determined by the North Carolina…

Every two years, the Duke and Dominion utilities in North Carolina are required to submit new Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) to the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) for approval. IRPs are, in short, a utility’s plan for meeting forecasted annual peak and energy demand over a specified future period. Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and Duke Energy Progress (DEP) submitted…

Throughout 2018, NCSEA worked with computer science students from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) to collect and analyze information about the current state of diversity and inclusiveness in the clean energy ecosystem from our members and partners. NCSEA designed the survey to collect demographic information about the respondents as well as their job satisfaction, barriers…