Civic Participation
In North Carolina, Cracking Solar Energy’s Glass Ceiling
“When I learned that a low-income person can spend up to 20% of their income on energy costs, my jaw dropped. It also reignited my personal journey towards civic participation.”
When I mention North Carolina, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Does it include college basketball, tobacco, or NASCAR? How about heated political debates, gerrymandering, and bad energy policy?
My home state of North Carolina has become one of the most politically divided states in the nation. Virtually an even split between liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, it’s become a battleground state on many important social issues — including LGBTQ rights, economic inequality, and my personal passion, energy poverty.
A low-income person in the United States can spend upwards of 20% of their income on energy, which can sometimes translate into skipping meals or medicine. I have childhood memories of sitting in my great-grandmother’s quaint, Southern style (read: no insulation) North Carolinian home. With the lack of central heating, I would often snuggle under a mountain of blankets and make a mad dash to the furnace when I heard it revving up. As a child, it never occurred to me that there were more effective, efficient, and cheaper means of heating a home — or in other words, that we were living in a form of energy poverty. My great-grandmother never complained, but I now realize the burden she underwent, and that many of her neighbors still do today.
Renewable energy could be a game changer for those living in energy poverty; sources like solar power and energy efficiency could, in the long run, reduce a family’s energy bill by over 70 percent.
But in North Carolina, this has become a yet another politically divisive and partisan issue. Most recently, some Republicans have called for the repeal of the renewable energy portfolio standard, which has led the way to thousands of clean energy jobs. I’ve been observing the circus for years — first in quiet horror, and more recently with a renewed sense of civic duty.
Over the last decade, North Carolina’s residential communities have experienced both a rise and precipitous fall in solar energy. After 2007, a few legal and policy changes meant that North Carolina saw itself with a sudden surge of the solar market — propelling the amount of solar energy in the state by 899% in just one year. By 2014, state and local governments realized tax revenue of $269 million from clean energy — a true game changer for the North Carolina solar industry, as well as for residents and businesses.
But now, many clean energy policies are not only unavailable, but illegal to pursue. A change in governmental leadership has resulted in a slowdown of the industry. The State has let the sun set on the solar tax credit, putting solar out of reach for many families. At the same time, major corporations — like Apple, SAS, and IKEA — have benefitted from Republican-led laws and policies that weren’t extended to the general public, such as favorable renewable energy incentives.
To make things worse, neighboring South Carolina has been championing new progressive renewable energy policies, such as third party leasing, community solar, and residential solar energy rebates. Our sister state is starting to lead the way, while leaving North Carolina behind.
My home state currently ranks second in new solar capacity, but the new capacity isn’t being extended to the entire population — and certainly not to individuals with lower incomes. This isn’t the case with all states. Recently New York, under Democratic leadership, began to dedicate federal resources to providing solar for low- and moderate-income families.
A solar panel should not be a physical representation of a glass ceiling, but it has become exactly that in North Carolina. I have watched the promise of clean energy first rise and then fall quickly to depths out of reach for most low-income families.
As a child growing up in the church, I saw the power of words and how they could lead to powerful actions. I learned over time that collective conviction could lead to historic changes for a number of social issues
When I learned that a low-income person can spend up to 20% of their income on energy costs, my jaw dropped. It also reignited my personal journey towards civic participation.
My convictions led me to found a nonprofit called The Renewable Energy Transition Initiative (RETI). I first envisioned it as being a direct service provider for communities living in energy poverty, but was soon told that my plans would be virtually impossible to execute. Determined to still fight for energy justice, I’ve instead turned to create a large and extensive advocacy network. I work with people from varying backgrounds and perspectives to create sustainable solutions to energy poverty. I educate people about ways to save, how to read an energy bill. I assist organizations to urge our school system to commit to renewable energy. I help residents understand what more progressive energy policies could mean for not only their wallets, but their air quality and physical well-being.
In short, I stand tall with others who also believe solar energy is not a luxury, and in fact it can be a catalyst for economic mobility.
My nonprofit’s office is less than five minutes from my great-grandmother’s home. She is no longer there to witness the changes in her neighborhood from when I was a little girl. In the years to come, I hope her neighbors’ homes will be more efficient, and that they will have better access to basic resources. I will work to see her community be uplifted by energy justice, and will work hard to make sure their voices are heard. It won’t be easy or quick, but I believe the future will be sunny.
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