Ratledge Road, Rural Davie County

 

 As reported from the Carolina Journal North Carolina’s installed solar power is second only to California’s. Some may cringe at the thought of following California’s energy policy, given the rolling blackouts imposed there. Solar power seemed like an attractive option in 2007, when the Democrat-controlled legislature handed Democratic Gov. Mike Easley a bill that provided sweeping incentives to encourage solar power in the state. The industry that N.C. taxpayers and electricity customers have helped fund since then is now getting some pushback, however, with some county governments taking the lead. It’s difficult at first to imagine what’s not to like about solar power. The energy used by the solar panels to produce electricity is free. The solar plants don’t emit any air pollution, and they don’t contribute greenhouse gases that many believe play a role in global warming. Gov. Roy Cooper is often heard saying he wants more solar power. If that’s the case, then, why haven’t other ...