Solar investment strengthens for Duke Energy in the state

There are sunny days ahead for renewable energy in North Carolina after Duke Energy's growth in solar energy development.

The traditionally coal and natural gas-based power company brought over 500 megawatts of solar energy to the state in 2016, enough to power 105,000 homes. 

This expansion contributed to North Carolina's rating as the second highest solar capacity in the nation behind California, said Randy Wheeless, a Duke Energy spokesperson.

He said the solar expansion is part of a larger effort by the power company to diversify its energy production.

“...So you have nuclear and coal and natural gas and hydro, but there’s no reason why renewables can’t be a bigger part of it," Wheeless said. “In North Carolina, I think solar is the most economical renewable energy, and I think our customers want us to pursue that, and I think we’ve been doing that at a pretty good clip over the past few years.”

Wheeless said Duke Energy currently operates 35 solar facilities in the state, and according to a Duke Energy report, the company has invested $4 billion into renewable energy since 2007. Of the 500 megawatts brought online last year, 400 were purchased from other developers — whereas the other 100 came from their own plants. The power company plans to bring another 400 megawatts online in 2017.

Jim Warren, the executive director of NC WARN, an environmental watchdog group, is skeptical of Duke Energy’s investment in solar in North Carolina. The power company associates with oil company owners and conservative political activists Charles and David Koch in order to suppress smaller solar companies, he said. 

“North Carolina has already done a lot of solar energy, but the fact is, that is in spite of Duke Energy, not because of them,” Warren said. “They talk a great corporate game, but their actions do not match it.”

Warren said only 1.7 percent of Duke Energy’s total power comes from solar.

Although solar energy's growth might have been slow, it is better than nothing at all, said Wheeless.

“It’s still going to be a small part of our system, but you have to realize that solar wasn’t a part of any of our system anywhere until about 2009,” Wheeless said. “We’ve come a long way since then, but there is still a lot more growth in the renewables that we can do.”

Wheeless said North Carolina is a good place to develop due to state policy that encourages development and because of its geography, especially in the eastern part of the state where the majority of the solar panels are located.

Even though solar energy might cost $1-2 more on customer’s monthly bills, most people are willing to pay the difference, he said.

“I think a lot of customers would say ‘Hey, I think that’s a good bargain.’”

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