Solar more important than wind: Duke CEO
NORTH CAROLINA - Utilities have a tough job in picking which expensive, relatively unproven renewable energy technology to place their chips on.
Solar and wind power get about equal face-time in the news, trailed by smaller contenders like geothermal, but which gets the most press isnÂ’t necessarily a good indicator of which will be most successful.
On the American west coast, PG&E and Southern California Edison have more or less settled their bets on solar power. Now it sounds like the east coastÂ’s biggest utility, Duke Energy, is equally bullish on solar. Clean Technology Investor reports on an interview with DukeÂ’s CEO, Jim Rogers:
Rogers said that even though Duke has made large investments in wind energy, “wind will be a very small portion [of U.S. energy use] relative to solar.” Specifically, he favors the advantages of distributed solar photovoltaic generation….
Rogers said that he expects distributed solar photovoltaic generation to be the leading renewable energy resource in the U.S. in the future, taking over windÂ’s current position.
On the subject of carbon-capture and storage, Rogers called himself a “realist.” “There’s some possibility [CCS] might not work,” Rogers said, or that it might not be cheap enough.
The difference between Duke and a utility like PG&E is mostly land availability. Where the west offers plenty of wide open spaces and deserts for giant solar thermal projects, the east is more densely populated and has few open areas that arenÂ’t protected, so smaller solar power deployments will be easier to pull off.
Unfortunately, thereÂ’s also a second difference: DukeÂ’s customer base is less accepting of higher power bills. Combine that with the relatively higher cost of solar panels, and it could be years before thereÂ’s significant solar power in DukeÂ’s operating area.
In fact, Duke already lost one fight to go ahead with a $50 million solar project in North Carolina, backing out earlier this year with the complaint that local regulators wouldnÂ’t let it fund the program the way it wanted to. It had already reduced it before, from $100 million. (Update: Duke writes to say that they resolved the issue and are proceeding with the $50m plan.) Without significant changes in policy, Duke is likely to stay just where it is at the moment, fighting to keep burning coal.
Related News

Alberta's Last Coal Plant Closes, Embracing Clean Energy
ALBERTA - The closure of the Genesee Generating Station on September 30, 2023, marked a significant milestone in Alberta's energy history. The Genesee, located near Calgary, was the province's last remaining coal-fired power plant. Its closure represents the culmination of a multi-year effort to transition Alberta's electricity sector away from coal and towards cleaner sources of energy.
For decades, coal was the backbone of Alberta's electricity grid. Coal-fired plants were reliable and relatively inexpensive to operate. However, coal also has a significant environmental impact. The burning of coal releases greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, a major contributor to climate change.…