WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Biden-Harris administration has a goal of having carbon free energy by 2035.
One of the ways the administration plans on achieving that goal is by increasing the amount of solar panels that are accessible to families, including lower income families that may not have originally thought that solar power was an option for them.
What You Need To Know
President Joe Biden plans on having carbon free energy by 2035
Solar panels will be made more accessible to lower income families
Hundreds of thousands of jobs in the solar industry with good pay and benefits will be made available as part of this initiative
When Brian Price bought his home in Wilmington, he knew that he wanted to try something different. He decided to go solar.
“It just seemed like the best move. I mean it makes a lot of sense, saving energy, owning my own energy in a way, saving money, better for the, better for the house,” Price said. “I just thought it was a good idea.”
Price was inspired to make the switch after he heard how well his co-worker’s experience with solar was going.
“One of my co-workers also went solar on his house, he has really good experience with it,” Price said. “He said he saved a lot of money, so that’s pretty much what I’m hoping for.”
It’s not just Price. Across the state, solar installations are already on the rise.
Solar company LGCY Power says that North Carolina, specifically, is one of the fastest growing states in the country for solar adoption.
LGCY Power’s Chris Underwood says that years ago, making the switch used to be very expensive and would be a limiting factor for many homeowners. Now, however, there are more affordable options to get started, and Underwood says those options contribute to that growth.
“Now homeowners can get a system at no out-of-pocket cost, have a finance product that they can get as low as 3%,” Underwood said. “And with those options the cost of the monthly payment for the solar can actually be cheaper than what you’re currently paying for your utility bill.”
After the Biden-Harris administration launched new initiatives to help lower income families get involved with solar, Underwood says that he expects an increase in solar installations in the next few years.
“If there’s anything that you’re looking to do to offset your carbon footprint and be more sustainable and go green, there’s nothing you can do that will do more than solar and allow you to have the exact same quality of life without changing anything,” Underwood said. “Because you don’t really have to think about turning on a light switch, but if that light switch is getting turned on and that solar power is providing the power, you’re already doing a good thing for the environment.”
Although Price — like so many who switch to solar — is most excited about lowering his energy bills, for him, the environmental benefit is equally as important.
“It just seems like every day, every month, every year the Earth is getting a little hotter,” Price said. “So any chance I get to save, you know, have good clean energy, save the environment is a chance I’ll take of course.”
In addition to making solar power more accessible across the country, President Joe Biden’s new initiative will also create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the solar industry that will be available to people from all backgrounds that provide good pay and benefits.