- Company pays customers for value of solar energy they
produce
- Collaboration key to creating sound policy for renewable
energy growth
GREENVILLE, S.C., July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy
Carolinas has achieved a major milestone in its support of solar
energy as more than 5,000 of the company's South Carolina customers have installed solar
panels on their homes and businesses, reaching a legislative goal
for customer-owned solar capacity.
Customers can still install solar – and sell the electricity
they produce to Duke Energy at the same price the utility pays for
electricity generated by large solar power plants – even though the
company has reached the capacity limit.
The net metering incentive enabled Duke Energy Carolinas – the
utility that primarily serves the Upstate of South Carolina – to achieve its goal of 40
megawatts of private "rooftop" solar well in advance of the 2020
target. Duke Energy Progress – the utility serving the northeastern
part of the state including Florence and Sumter – is well on its way to meeting its
goal of 13 megawatts of private solar, as well.
These goals and the incentives that helped achieve them were a
result of landmark legislation passed by South Carolina's General Assembly in 2014,
commonly known as Act 236.
Solar policy that works
As a result of Act 236, Duke Energy and its customers have
helped make South Carolina one of
the country's greatest success stories for renewable energy. In
2017, South Carolina jumped to No.
8 in the country for the amount of solar installed during the
year.
Act 236 provided a framework for customers to install solar on
their homes and businesses through strategic programs like the net
metering incentive and rebate offerings. The net metering incentive
was a component of a larger 2014 settlement agreement with the
solar industry, environmental groups and South Carolina's utilities, and was intended
to spur the residential solar market at a time when solar costs
were higher. In addition to the net metering incentive, the company
has provided more than $50 million in
rebates as an extra incentive for customers who wanted to go solar
across its South Carolina
footprint.
The significant response from Duke Energy Carolinas customers
has led to the utility meeting its application capacity goal for
the net metering incentive as established by Act 236. Beginning
Aug. 1, 2018, Duke Energy Carolinas
customers in South Carolina who
want to install solar on their home or business will continue to
have the option to do so. Duke Energy Carolinas will purchase all
the energy their system produces similar to how the utility
purchases renewable energy from large scale solar facilities. Those
interested in participating in customer-owned generation can
utilize Duke Energy Carolinas' Purchase Power Tariff. Customers
wishing to learn more about this offering should visit
https://www.duke-energy.com/business/products/renewables/generate-your-own/sell-all-purchased-power.
Duke Energy Progress is not expected to reach the capacity limit
until 2020 or later. Customers there will still be able to sign up
for the current form of net metering, and all current net metering
customers are grandfathered into their current billing system
through the end of 2025.
Collaboration is key
Andrew Streit, founder and former
president of the South Carolina Solar Business Alliance, has been
actively involved in the solar marketplace in South Carolina for many years, and was
involved in the discussions that brought about Act 236.
"Duke Energy's active participation in Act 236 was instrumental
in moving solar forward in South
Carolina," said Streit, who is director of business
development for solar installer Power Factor. "It was a
collaborative effort and the conversations were sometimes tense as
the different sides wrestled complex issues, but they came together
to build a solid program for the entire state."
"It is this compromise approach with many stakeholders at the
table that is critical to getting the next phase of solar right in
South Carolina."
That collaboration does continue, as the Office of Regulatory
Staff has already brought stakeholders to the table again and
discussion has started to address some of the issues that were
raised during the last session of the General Assembly.
The goal has always been to propose a collaborative, sustainable
solution to guide future legislation.
"What we've proposed all along is a reasonable path forward to
continue to grow solar energy in South
Carolina," said Kodwo
Ghartey-Tagoe, state president for Duke Energy in
South Carolina. "We are hopeful
this current effort will lead to consensus, common-sense
legislation that is fair and balances the interests of all who call
South Carolina home – solar
providers, energy companies, and customers who use solar energy and
those who do not."
Local success, local jobs
Bruce Wood was in the solar
installation and service business in South Carolina long before it looked like it
would be the successful industry it has become.
"There weren't many of us homegrown solar companies here in the
early days of the solar industry," said Wood, owner of Sunstore
Solar in Greer, S.C. "I like to
think operations like mine really helped build the interest and
confidence for homeowners and small businesses in how they could
participate in renewables."
That was before Act 236.
"We've really been able to grow the business the past few years,
once legislation really opened up the marketplace," Wood said. "But
I know that some parts of that policy that got us here – like net
metering – were incentives that were never intended to be
permanent. If we get everyone back to the table we can work out a
sustainable plan that will be good for customers, installers and
the energy companies for years to come."
Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte,
N.C., Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is one of the largest energy
holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees
and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts. The company is
transforming its customers' experience, modernizing its energy
grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding its natural gas
infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and
communities it serves.
The company's Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves
approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states –
North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky. Its Gas Utilities
and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately
1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit
operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S.
A Fortune 125 company, Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2018
"World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' 2018 "America's
Best Employers" list.
More information about the company is available at
duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center includes news
releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke
Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations,
community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on
Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Contact: Ryan Mosier
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy