Unfortunately, We Energies isn’t the only fossil fuel-based utility that’s attacking solar panel owners.
It’s part of a national campaign to destroy the solar industry by making clean energy unaffordable for the average homeowner.
The utilities say they will enter a “death spiral” as more and more of their customers opt out of their monopolies and go it alone with their rooftop solar panels.
They need to charge solar customers more for the use of their grid or they’ll be wiped out, they claim.
But former Energy Secretary and Nobel Prize winner Steven Chu says the utilities have it all wrong.
“That’s another bullshit argument,” he told Forbes in March.
Solar won’t start threatening traditional utilities until they capture about 20% of the customer base, he said.
In Wisconsin, just a fraction of 1% of We Energies’ customers has invested in solar. (Including yours truly, through the Milwaukee Shines program.)
Instead of attacking solar users, utilities should join them, Chu says, by investing in solar systems on their customers’ homes. Then, they’ll own the solar systems and be able to charge their customers for the clean energy, he told Forbes.
Think We Energies will wake up and adapt their business model?
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