You snooze; you lose. Only the North Carolina residents who submitted applications on the first two days will receive funds under Duke Energy's 2019 Solar Rebate Program. Others will go on a waiting list for next year -- when they may go even faster.
Bryan Jacob | January 9, 2019 | North Carolina, Solar, Utilities
You snooze; you lose. Only the 1,300 or so North Carolina residents who submitted applications between January 2 and January 4 will receive funds under Duke Energy’s 2019 Solar Rebate Program. Others will go on a waiting list for next year — when they may go even faster.
House Bill 589, North Carolina’s comprehensive solar legislation from 2017, required Duke Energy to develop a Solar Rebate Program for 20 MW per year (10 MW/year for Duke Energy Carolinas and 10 MW/year for Duke Energy Progress). These rebates are to be offered annually for five years, 2018-2022. Residential customers can get $0.60 per Watt up to a maximum of $6,000. Rebates exist for non-residential and non-profit customers, as well.
When the program launched in 2018, applications exceeded that first year allocation in approximately two weeks. Now in its second year, the rebate applications opened on January 2, 2019 — and were oversubscribed in just two days. Additional applicants will be recorded on a waiting list.
Despite lack of federal leadership and well-funded opposition efforts, solar power continues to advance nationally as states step up and move forward with robust solar programs. In North Carolina, these renewed rebates will help Duke incentivize rooftop solar to the tune of around $10 million this year.
SACE supports policies and programs like this one that make clean, renewable solar power more accessible to customers throughout our region. The incredible demand for these solar rebates is a clear indication that enthusiasm for solar in North Carolina – and regionally – is continuing to increase. Witnessing how renewable energy continues to advance, even over a backdrop of an unsupportive national political system, re-energizes us at SACE to continue fighting to promote clean energy solutions. The record sellout of Duke’s 2019 program is another illustration of the fact that the public appetite for solar is only growing.
We need more, but these are solid gains in a difficult political environment. I can’t wait to see how large the waiting list grows and how quickly the rebates will go in 2020. Weeks? Days? Hours?