Blog
The 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 MoreNC Energy Storage Moves Beyond the Pilot Phase
In late September, Duke Energy announced that it would install two battery energy storage systems in Western North Carolina – a 9-megawatt lithium-ion battery in the City of Asheville and a 4-megawatt lithium-ion battery system in Madison County. These are the first battery storage projects for Duke Energy that are on a wide-scale, opening up…
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 MoreDuke Energy Subsidiaries Request Rate Increases
Over the summer, both Duke subsidiaries operating in North Carolina filed applications to increase their retail rates with the North Carolina Utilities Commission. Duke Energy Progress, LLC (“DEP”) filed their application on June 1 in Docket No. E-2, Sub 1142, and Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (“DEC”) filed theirs on August 25 in Docket No. E-7, Sub 1146. While the applications…
Read MoreNC General Assembly Issues RFP As Part of 18-Month Wind Energy Moratorium; Begins Unnecessary $150k Study
In late June, legislators passed a moratorium on permitting of wind energy projects in NC through Dec. 31, 2018 RALEIGH, NC – In the closing hours of the 2017 legislative session in late June, the NC General Assembly passed House Bill 589, The Competitive Energy Solutions Act for North Carolina, and it was signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper…
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 MoreNCSEA’s statement: Gov. Signs HB589
NCSEA’s Statement: Today, Governor Cooper signed into law House Bill 589, “Competitive Energy Solutions for North Carolina”. Below is a statement by Ivan Urlaub, Executive Director of the NC Sustainable Energy Association: “We applaud Governor Cooper for his thoughtful consideration of this compromise energy legislation over the last four weeks, and again express our appreciation to Rep. John…
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