Source: Nadia Ramlagan, NC PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE, 11/3/21

Experts say an increasing number of people are sharing their views with state regulatory agencies about rate cases and clean energy, and a free webinar series aims to demystify North Carolina's utility regulatory processes for anyone who wants to know more.

Energy consultant Nancy LaPlaca said decisions made by the North Carolina Utilities Commission affect everyone in the state - and yet, the agency's regulatory processes and policies often are too complex for most people to grasp. She said there are few opportunities to ask questions or submit public comments when the agency reviews Duke Energy's permits.

"This is a giant state, 10 million people," she said. "I am shocked that we have not in 10 years had what's called an evidentiary hearing for Integrated Resource Plans."

In LaPlaca's view, Duke Energy operates what amounts to a monopoly on gas- and coal-generated electricity in North Carolina. She said the upcoming webinars by CleanAIRE NC will focus on how transitioning to clean energy can provide local jobs and reduce pollution, and cover the costs and benefits of different types of power generation.

LaPlaca said the nation's electricity system is shifting away from large fossil-fuel plants to cleaner, more distributed energy sources such as solar and wind. However, she added, policies in North Carolina haven't kept up.

"In fact, North Carolina, we have a lot of medium-sized solar, but we have very, very few rooftops," she said, "and that's because the utilities have purposely killed the polices that allow rooftop solar to thrive."

She said states like California have pioneered ways to improve the transparency of regulatory processes and jumpstart use of clean energy.

"There are programs that the NCUC, utilities, the regulators, could put in place," she said. "It's been in effect on the West Coast and on other parts of the East for a long time, called GRID Alternatives. It's a nonprofit that trains people to work in the solar industry."

In 2019, solar power provided nearly 6% of North Carolina's energy generation. The state ranked second in the nation, after California, in total installed solar-generating capacity, according to federal data.