Category Archives: electricity

electricity, rates, solar

Solar Power Devotees Install 20 Solar Panels At Their North Carolina Home

Installing solarDick and Chloe Goho are fanatics of solar power and have installed 20 solar panels at their home in North Carolina. They received 65 percent state and federal tax credit towards the purchase of the system. Dick and Chloe’s home feature solar hot water heating, LED Lights and solar skylights.

The Goho’s ultimate ultimate goal is to reduce their consumption of energy. Since installing the photovoltaic solar panels a year ago, the couple have reduced their energy consumption from 800 KW to 320 KW monthly.

Chloe, who is a retired financial analyst, estimates that it will take at least eight years for the solar system to pay for itself. This is because the system has practically cut their electricity bill in half. Previously, the couples typical bill was $100 but their most recent bill was $40 and the system was only on for two weeks for that month.

electricity, electricity providers, rates

Prepaid Electricity May Soon Become A Reality

Westar Energy is seeking the permission to start offering their customers prepaid electricity service in Kansas. The company filed an application with Kansas Corporation Commission but a decision is yet to be made. If the request is granted, Westar will have to begin the prepaid service on a small scale under a pilot project with as many as 1000 customers.

Customers who opt for the service would not be required to make a security deposit; however, they would have to pay Westar $4 a month for the privilege. In order to qualify for the prepaid service, customers should not owe Westar more than $1000, be currently taking residential service and their home should also be equipped with advance metering. An email address is also necessary to foster communication with the company.

As the cold weather rule prohibits service shut offs during the winter, prepaid customers who owe the company money could see their energy usage reduced to a minimum, as Westar’s advanced metering system is able to throttle back energy usage. In addition, customers who use more electricity than they pay for will have the outstanding amount debited from future payments.

While prepaid isn’t prevalent in North Carolina, certain municipalities and coops have begun experimenting with the idea.   In other markets, such as Houston Texas, prepaid electricity plans  have become the norm.

electricity, fracking, natural gas

The Good and Bad of Fracking

It is expected that by 2015 natural gas drilling will be permitted in North Carolina. By Spring or Summer of 2014, preliminary drilling for core samples could begin. Following that, the public will be allowed to comment on the Mining and Energy Commission’s regulatory proposals and recommendations will then be forwarded to the General Assembly. If the recommendations are approved, it means the drilling moratorium could be lifted by March 2015.

The fracking process requires water, chemicals and sand to be blasted into shale which breaks it up and releases the gas that is trapped within. As a result, fracking opponents are raising question in regards to where the drilling companies would get the high volume of water required for the process. This question is quite valid, as a few towns in Texas were left without water as a result of fracking.

Officials of the Mining and Energy Commission sought to allay the fears of fracking opponents by highlighting the positives of fracking. Some of the benefits highlighted included a growth of tax base in counties, more jobs which will reduce the State’s unemployment rate, and an increase in the median family income by approximately 50 percent.

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electricity, solar

North Carolina Among Pioneers in U.S. Solar Development

According to figures released by SNL Energy, the United States solar energy development is growing at record pace and is expected to exceed the 1675 megawatts that was built in 2012. This record development is as a result of falling costs of solar construction.

North Carolina is ranked third among the pioneers of solar development with 803 megawatts. California tops the charts as the state with the highest number of projects under construction or in advanced development with 6,047 megawatts. Nevada ranks second with 1,056 megawatts.

Four of the 10 largest projects completed in the quarter were built in the North Carolina. The 5 megawatt projects were built by Strata Solar. The state also ranked highly in prospective projects. Plans have been announced by Sun Energy1 and the Sustainable Energy Development Corp for three projects totaling 52 mega watts that could come on line this year. These three projects are also ranked in the top 10.

Click on the following link to read the full story. http://tinyurl.com/lw3pmn6