AltEnToday

Just a quick post here - I’ve got my reading to do tonight! SEPA (Solar Electric Power Association) has released a new white paper for business and political leaders to consider the issue of “decoupling.” I have only recently become aware of this issue, so I’m hoping for good things from this paper.

Essentially, the decoupling issue (as I’ve come to understand it) centers around the profits of utility companies. Utilities make profits by producing electricity and selling it (duh). In the future, as more homeowners put solar panels on their roof, this creates a point of contention. Utilities would love to have increased power, but unless they actually are the ones providing it, they’re left with reduced profits. So how can we have a distributed electric grid while simultaneously supporting the pre-existing utility industry structure?

Hopefully this white paper can help me figure that one out. Download the full report for yourself at SEPA’s website: solarelectricpower.org. I’ve also archived a copy of it right here: Decoupling Utility Profits from Sales.

I’ll post my thoughts once I’ve had the chance to read it.