(Duke Energy, 12 July 2018)

Over 5,000 of Duke Energy’s customers in South Carolina have installed rooftop solar on their residential homes and businesses. Duke Energy also provides over $50 million in rebates as an “extra incentive” to encourage customers to adopt solar. Duke Energy Carolinas (a subsidiary of Duke Energy that operates in North and South Carolina) has pledged to purchase all the surplus solar produced by a rooftop solar system- similar to how utilities purchase renewable energy from large scale projects. With so many rooftop solar installations in the company’s territory, Duke Energy is ahead of schedule in its legislative (i.e. policy) goal of 40 MW of private rooftop solar by 2020 as mandated by “Act 236.” This piece of legislation – which was designed to grow the residential solar industry at a time when solar costs were higher- better enables customers to install rooftop solar by providing net metering incentives and rebates. As a side note, “the net metering incentive was a component of a larger 2014 settlement agreement with the solar industry, environmental groups and South Carolina’s utilities.