A new bill (HB 495) was introduced in the House that would require utilities to double the amount of solar power they have to buy in order to meet the 7.5% renewable energy mandate of SB 3.
Further, the bill would allow utility companies to meet the 7.5% mandate by allowing them to specifically purchase solar energy from outside the state. Currently, about 42% of the renewable energy mandate can be met through the purchase of out-of-state renewable energy. This means consumers are literally subsidizing renewable energy in states like Texas without receiving anything in return. This new bill would allow utilities to meet about 63% of the mandate from out-of-state sources!
Why would such a bill be proposed? Because solar power is so expensive that even the existing mandates aren’t good enough to get utilities to buy solar power. To force utilities, and by extension electricity customers, to pay for one of the most expensive sources of renewable energy, the bill would create greater mandates just for solar power.
Even if someone supports SB 3 and mandating the purchase of renewable energy, this bill is completely unrelated to that goal–it is a bill to favor one type of renewable energy. It is a special interest bill for the powerful solar industry lobby.
BTW: The primary sponsors are three Republicans and one Democrat.
I was just going to write about the details of the bill, but then I saw this hilarious article in the News & Observer. Check out the first sentence of the article:
Solar energy is proving so successful in North Carolina that industry advocates want to double the amount of sun-powered electricity that is required by state law.
If the mandate is not increased, solar advocates fear, Duke Energy and Progress Energy are likely to stop at their 0.2 percent requirement, rather than continue buying one of the most expensive forms of green energy.