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The Clogged (and Worsening?) State of QF Interconnection in North Carolina
Six graphs filed by North Carolina’s investor-owned utilities provide insight into the state of QF interconnection in North Carolina. Below, you will see two graphs for Duke Energy Carolinas (a Q4 2015 snapshot paired with a Q1 2016 snapshot), two graphs for Duke Energy Progress, and two graphs for Dominion North Carolina Power. The clogged (and worsening?) state of North…
Read MoreNCSEA Maps Current Capacity Awaiting Interconnection at Substations Across the State
NCSEA’s market intelligence team has mapped out the queued capacity and voltage information for individual substations using Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC), Duke Energy Progress (DEP), and Dominion North Carolina Power’s (DNCP) Interconnection Queue Performance Report. Interconnection is the process by which generating resources including solar, wind, biomass, and battery storage tie to the electric grid.…
Read MoreNCSEA to DEQ: Revise Clean Power Plan Rules
Today, NCSEA’s regulatory counsel sent a letter officially opposing the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s (“DEQ”) proposed rules to implement the Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) Clean Power Plan in North Carolina. As stated in the letter, NCSEA opposes the state rules currently proposed by DEQ, citing their failure to: Comply with the Clean Power Plan; Utilize renewable energy…
Read MoreNCSEA Statement: Anticipated “Safe Harbor” Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credits in 2016
One-Year Extension for Clean Energy Projects Completed in 2016 Would Generate Up to $3 Billion in Additional Investments Despite broad bi-partisan support, the final state budget passed by the N.C. General Assembly in September did not include an extension of the state renewable energy investment tax credit (REITC), which is scheduled to expire on January…
Read MoreClean 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Claim #1: NC’s Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) is a policy mandate and should be repealed; let the “free market” and customers decide the best energy sources.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…
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