I'd be happy to have Duke Energy install and maintain solar panels on my roof, thanks.

Pat McCrory should use the Rogers profile in his campaign literature (and use Rogers as a model for his own outreach to environmentalists).

Comments

[Anonymous]

I can't remember where I saw this idea, but one city in California is starting a limited project of buying solar panels for privately owned houses. Through city property tax bills, the home owner -- whoever that may be -- pays an additional amount over the next 20 or 30 years to repay the cost to the city.

Through the effort, the city encourages renewable energy use, creates less pollution and smog, reduces the chances of rolling blackouts, and helps to rid our dependence on foreign oil. I'm sure the city also has a built-in "profit margin" to pay for the interest on the solar panel "loan."

The homeowner gets to use solar power, reduces their energy costs, and can utilize solar panels without having to spend a small fortune.

A lot of people move every few years, so for them, buying a $30,000 solar system doesn't make sense and they will never get their money back if they sell the home in a few years. However, with a project like this, amortized over decades, the solar panels are certainly more affordable.

I'm sure you will see more of this public/private partnership to install solar panels or wind generators in the future. However, it seems somewhat pathetic that city governments are the leaders on this, instead of the state or federal governments.

[James]

What do you mean McCrory "should use the profile" as part of his gubernatorial campaign? Looks to me like the publicity department at Duke Energy just scored a direct hit designed to help get their guy in the governor's mansion.

I have a hard time reconciling the company's full-court push for the Cliffside Mercury Distribution Plan with Rogers' self-described contradictions on the never-ending search for cheap coal.

[Will]

Lately I have been thinking of solar on a bit grander scale.

www.brightsourceenergy.com

"BrightSource Energy, Inc. designs and builds large scale solar plants that deliver low-cost solar energy in the form of steam and/or electricity...."

According to their CEO who happens to also be my cousin, the time for generating this type of energy on a utility scale and priced competitively has arrived and they have the production contracts to prove it.

Exciting stuff.

[Jeffrey Sykes]

Facing South takes the NYT Mag report to task and offers a less rosy view of the claims Rogers makes in the article.