Rachel Weber: Solar company fighting Duke Energy

Regarding the Feb. 2 news article “Solar energy giant challenges Duke Energy”: I am glad to see Cypress Creek Renewables, one of our state’s more prominent solar developers, stand up to Duke Energy’s obstruction of solar energy. The developer filed a formal complaint against the utility recently.

Forward-thinking policies have catapulted North Carolina into its position as a solar leader, all while spurring economic development, employing thousands of people and providing enough pollution-free energy to power the equivalent of 260,000 homes. Unfortunately, Duke Energy wants to slow the growth of solar.

The utility has all but halted adding projects from small solar developers to the grid, and now, its policy proposals present significant barriers to larger developers like Cypress Creek.

Undermining developers’ ability to finance and construct solar projects, which protects our clean air and employs locals, appears to be part of Duke’s plan to keep the market closed, protect its power as a monopoly and justify its continued investment into dirty energy infrastructure.

Instead of getting in the way of solar, we need leadership in the industry, regulatory and legislative arenas that will embrace policies that help to grow solar and reject attempts to block the sun.

This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Rachel Weber: Solar company fighting Duke Energy."