Solar's "Silver Linings"? More Like Desperate Measures.
Alright, let's talk about solar. Again. Seems like every other week there's some new "innovation" or "bright spot" that's supposed to save the industry. Give me a break.
The "Bright Side" Scam
So, this EnerWealth Solutions company in North Carolina thinks they've found a loophole. They're buying up solar panels with tax credits still attached and renting them to homeowners. Passing along the savings, blah, blah, blah. They call it a "path forward." I call it a band-aid on a gaping wound. One North Carolina company’s plan for keeping rooftop solar going
Seriously, is this the best we can do? We're celebrating companies that are renting solar panels because people can't afford to buy them outright anymore? That's not progress; that's a sign the whole system is rigged.
And don't even get me started on the "beleaguered rooftop solar sector." Beleaguered? It's getting hammered by policy changes, high interest rates, and inflation. But sure, let's focus on the one tiny company trying to game the system for another two years.
Matt Abele from the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association says it's "imperative that we’re opening every avenue." Every avenue? How about fixing the damn policies that are crushing the industry in the first place? Instead, we're supposed to get excited about some rental scheme?
It's like celebrating a guy who's selling umbrellas during a flood.
The Tax Credit Mirage
The article mentions the Trump administration killing the 30% tax credit early. No surprises there. Remember the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act"? Yeah, beautiful for oil companies, maybe. For everyone else? Not so much.
And now they're trying to spin this as some kind of boom-before-the-bust scenario. Sales are up because people are rushing to get solar before the tax credit disappears. But what happens after it's gone? Crickets, probably.
The article also mentions North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson suing the Trump administration over clawed-back solar grants. Good for him, I guess. But lawsuits take time, and meanwhile, the solar industry is bleeding out.
And what's with the constant focus on incentives? Rebates, tax credits, pilot programs... It's all temporary, and it creates this boom-and-bust cycle that makes it impossible for companies to plan for the future.
I mean, doesn't anyone see the bigger picture here? We're relying on the whims of politicians and the generosity of utilities to keep solar afloat. That ain't a sustainable business model.
False Hope and Reality
Then there's the Duke Energy "PowerPair" program, offering rebates for batteries. Thousands of enrollees! Sounds great, right? Except it's a "trial program" with limited availability. And it's Duke Energy, for crying out loud. Are we really supposed to trust a giant utility to promote rooftop solar when it directly competes with their business model?
Offcourse not. It's a PR stunt, plain and simple.
The Hawaii article is even more depressing. "Bloodbath next year," "devastating impact," "massive layoffs"... Sounds like a party. They're talking about the state legislature needing to step in to save the industry. But let's be real, politicians are politicians. They'll make promises, hold press conferences, and then do whatever the lobbyists tell them to do.
And this line: "The federal government has abandoned Hawaiʻi families and our clean energy future." Ain't that the truth. But who's surprised?
Solar's Just Another Game for the Rich
So, what's the real solution? I don't know. Maybe there isn't one. Maybe solar was always just a pipe dream, a feel-good fantasy for wealthy homeowners who want to virtue signal. The Jewish Solar Challenge is cool and all, but relying on philanthropy to fix systemic problems...it's like using a tea spoon to drain a lake.
The article about rural Midwestern towns saving money is actually the most promising thing here, but even that's tied to expiring tax incentives. Steve Strand, the city council member who was originally against solar but now says it'll "probably help pay for the pool"...that's the most honest thing I've read all day. Rural Midwestern towns are saving huge amounts of cash by going solar: 'It'll probably help pay for the pool'