Partial Solar Eclipse At Duke Energy

摘要

Duke Energy cut in half its $100 million plan to place solar-electric panels on North Carolina rooftops. Duke's revised proposal calls for $50 million in spending over two years to generate 8 MW from up to 425 solar sites. Consumer advocates for the state Utilities Commission called the proposal too aggressive and expensive, according to newspaper reports. Under a 2007 state law, Duke has to use renewable energy sources to generate 12.5 percent of its retail sales by 2021. Solar power has to be a small but growing part of that mix, beginning in 2010. Under Duke's original proposal, the utility would generate 16 MW of electricity by installing solar photovoltaic panels on as many as 850 rooftops and ground sites, most at commercial or institutional buildings. The power would feed into the power grid.