Utilities fight rise in home solar power

By Joby Warrick

Three years ago, the nation’s top utility executives gathered at a Colorado resort to hear warnings about a grave new threat to operators of America’s electric grid: not superstorms or cyberattacks, but rooftop solar panels.

If demand for residential solar continued to soar, traditional utilities could soon face serious problems, from declining retail sales and a loss of customers to ‘‘potential obsolescence,’’ according to a presentation prepared for the group. ‘‘Industry must prepare an action plan to address the challenges,’’ it said.

The warning, delivered to a private meeting of the utility industry’s main trade association, became a call to arms for electricity providers in nearly every corner of the nation.

Three years later, the industry and its fossil-fuel supporters are waging a determined campaign to stop a home-solar insurgency that is rattling the boardrooms of the country’s government-regulated electric monopolies.

Wow, solar has come that far that the Electric companies are fearing them as making them potentially obsolete.  I had no idea when Brian O’Connor signed up and qualified for Solar at his house that he told me that it’s actually going to pay him to have solar panels installed.

In my mind solar went from not to long ago something that rich environmentalists did to feel good about themselves to now a viable financial alternative that makes sense not only for the environment but also for the pocketbook and for the common man.

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Check out what East Gloucester’s Brian O’connor’s Solar Energy advisor had to say in our interview a couple months ago-

Hi Joey,

Just a quick follow on Brian and Diane O’Connor’s Solar evaluation.

Brian and Diane’s home has qualified and they have decided to put rooftop solar on their home in Gloucester.  (Only 15% of homes in MA are eligible.)

Because of their home’s orientation to the sun and other factors, their entire cost will be covered by various federal, state and utility incentives.  In fact they will actually be making money over and above their cost.  And getting 90% of their electricity for free.

If anyone else would like to find out if their home qualifies, I just need their contact information and our techs will initially rate the home via satellite.  If it qualifies, we can up with a time for us to talk about how it all works. (About 90 mins.)

I am in the process of working with several other Gloucester residents and will keep you posted on their progress.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Kevin Prickett
Solar Advisor

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