Telling the full story
Hello ACTT Community!
Recently, the Bangor Daily News has been running a series of articles all with the same general theme. These articles are all written by the BDN’s “environmental reporter” Mehr Sher, and all center on the claim that solar energy is driving up electrical rates for all ratepayers.
At A Climate to Thrive, we have watched this series of articles, in which the same inaccurate and biased perspective is repackaged as journalism, with increasing concern. Our concerns include:
The articles focus on a very small part of a large, complex topic and do so in a way that is purposefully misleading for anyone without a high degree of energy knowledge.
By withholding critical information and failing to provide the full picture, the articles disempower readers. America’s transition away from fossil fuels, vital to preserving a livable future on this planet and also providing a better economic pathway (since many forms of renewable energy are now cheaper than fossil fuel energy), is a transition that holds significant benefits for all users of electricity, particularly depending on how that transition occurs. Accurately informed ratepayers are empowered ratepayers, able to advocate for solutions that will benefit them in their homes, cars, and communities.
The articles have been released in a regular and repetitive manner that suggests a covert campaign, causing us to question where the articles are really coming from. (This suspicion has only been compounded by the fact that these are the only articles that the BDN’s “environmental reporter” has written about renewable energy, with none of her articles covering any renewable energy solution in a positive manner.)
Additionally, ACTT has tried several times to reach out to Ms. Sher to share more balanced information that all readers, and all Mainers, should have access to in order to be empowered participants in the clean energy transition. Ms. Sher has never replied to our requests for a meeting.
The world is transitioning off fossil fuels. That transition is happening much too slowly, as the recent IPCC Synthesis Report tells us in a “final warning”. Nonetheless, the transition is occurring. Anyone with any hope for the future of this planet and the life on it (whether driven by love for living children, ecological systems, or even economic interests) should hope this transition accelerates greatly in the coming years.
How we make the transition also matters significantly. We can do so in a manner that better distributes retained earnings associated with energy, as opposed to concentrating that equity in the hands of a few fossil fuel tycoons. We can do so in a way that simultaneously builds energy resilience in the face of climate-related impacts like extreme weather, building distributed generation and storage. We can do so in a manner that rewards efficiency and lowers demand. Perhaps most importantly, we can make this transition in a way that builds shared knowledge and understanding, thereby empowering as many as possible to participate fully in the many benefits associated with the transition.
At A Climate to Thrive, over the past seven years, we have learned a lot about the types of renewable energy solutions that bring these benefits and more to rural Maine communities. It is absolutely true that not all solar energy generation results in the same type of benefits to Maine communities. Ownership really matters, for example. When a large investor comes into the state and purchases or leases land to establish a large array, then turns around and sells the associated Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to a polluter while simultaneously selling subscriptions with a small monthly discount on energy bills (different from actual RECs, which are the way clean energy is accounted for), neither the clean energy credits (RECs) nor the lion’s share of the benefits stay in the local community. This is not to say that large-scale solar is bad; we need larger scale projects. But we need to understand the difference between that model and smaller, distributed projects that are responsibly sited with community participation and owned by the local community, with both the RECs and the economic benefits staying local.
We also need to have a full understanding of what solar energy is actually doing to our electrical bills, especially in comparison to the impact continued reliance on fossil fuels and natural gas is having on those same bills and our climate. The BDN articles claim that solar generation has raised electrical bills around $4-$5 per month. This may be correct, or at least in the ballpark. Left unmentioned by BDN, however, is the fact that increasing natural gas costs have driven rates up by ~ $40-$50 per month. Furthermore, continued reliance on fossil fuels will lead to continued price increases, since those prices are dependent on global markets. Finally, Maine is seeing significant increases in electrical rates due to the cost to upgrade the utilities’ aging infrastructure, which has a long history of deferred maintenance. These factors drive up electricity costs, which in turn make solar more valuable, particularly to those who own solar generation.
In fact, and very importantly, the Governor’s Energy Office recently ordered a study on the impact of distributed energy generation on local electrical bills. This study, captured in the Governor's Energy Office Distributed Energy Stakeholder report, showed the benefits of distributed energy generation across the grid, including a significant reduction of distribution costs as well as other energy, capacity compliance, and environmental costs. Readers of the report will find that distributed energy projects like solar can lower energy costs for ratepayers across the state, not just those who own or subscribe.
Finally, the BDN fails to address the cost of doing nothing. Who loses the most if climate change is not addressed? What are the projected costs of infrastructure repairs and who will foot that bill? In Maine, these costs will disproportionately be carried by low and moderate-income ratepayers.
At ACTT, we are focused on understanding the nuances of our energy systems and advocating for the types of solutions that truly benefit Mainers across the economic spectrum. We are currently developing a model of cooperative solar ownership that removes the upfront cost barrier that can be prohibitive for low income community members to pursue solar power. We are focused on helping homeowners and small businesses reduce energy costs through our Comprehensive Building Solutions Program. We are helping our towns and local nonprofits develop locally-owned, responsibly-sited renewable energy projects, taking advantage of the incredible incentives now available through the Inflation Reduction Act. And, importantly, we are fully committed and work tirelessly to identify and share the comprehensive information needed to empower our communities with a full understanding of the complex energy story — not just one slice of it that stands to benefit a few, but the full story for the benefit of the full community.
Thank you for being part of this solutions-focused work!