Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
FROM § IC <br />ENERGY <br />"We plan to continue to <br />drive it until we get some <br />satisfaction on energy <br />policy for the state focused <br />on the least cost and not <br />picking winners and los- <br />ers," he said. <br />Supporters of govern- <br />ment encouragement for <br />alternative energy point to <br />economic benefits. Last <br />year, the solar tax credit <br />totaled $126 million and <br />generated $717 million in <br />spending, according to the <br />N.C. Department of Reve- <br />nue. <br />It was disclosed last <br />week that Google is going <br />to become the first cus- <br />tomer of a Duke Energy <br />program using energy from <br />a solar farm that will be <br />the second- largest in the <br />state and will be in Ruther- <br />ford County, which Hager <br />represents. <br />Duke will buy energy <br />from the farm, and Google <br />will buy energy credits that <br />represent the electricity <br />from its Lenoir data center. <br />The idea is to help custom- <br />ers that use a lot of power, <br />such as Google, meet cor- <br />porate sustainability goals, <br />The Charlotte Observer <br />reported. <br />The N.C. Sustainable <br />Energy Association coun- <br />ters AFP's argument that <br />alternative energy increas- <br />es costs. The N.C. Utilities <br />Commission says electric- <br />ity rates overall have in- <br />creased this year, but the <br />vast majority of that in- <br />crease is because of new <br />fossil fuel plants and in- <br />flation. <br />The association also <br />argues that there is no free <br />market for energy in North <br />Carolina anyway, regard- <br />less of REPs. That's be- <br />cause there is a highly <br />regulated monopoly, in <br />Duke Energy, and the <br />renewable mandate allows <br />limited competition. <br />Studies have shown that <br />the energy portfolio has <br />created jobs, many in the <br />state's poorest areas, said <br />Cassie Gavin, a lawyer <br />with the North Carolina <br />chapter of the Sierra Club. <br />She said clean energy <br />benefits the environment <br />and the economy, and <br />reduces the need for ex- <br />pensive new power plants. <br />"It's disappointing that <br />some legislators are appar- <br />ently still fully committed <br />to crippling North Car- <br />olina's clean energy suc- <br />cess story by freezing , <br />REPs," said Molly Diggins, <br />the state director of the <br />Sierra Club. <br />Craig Jarvis :, 919- 829 -4576, <br />@Craigf NandO <br />