When pigs fly…..
People once believed the world was flat. That is until someone set course to prove otherwise. When a small group of businesses challenged beliefs of Santee Cooper (our state owned South Carolina Public Service Authority) who told everyone that they are the only ones that can produce electricity. That photovoltaic solar cells are too costly and their coal fired plants can produce electric cheaper. That these cells are a danger to the linemen.
Challenges came from companies like Nanosolar who is producing thin film photovoltaic cells that can produce electric as cheap as coal fired plants and may go even cheaper. These cells do not pose any dangerous problems. Are easy to install and you could produce your own electric.
This is constant reminder that beliefs can indeed change. The next change has to come from Santee Cooper as they have the monopoly to provide electric energy to almost 2 million people in South Carolina. They do not want you to compete with cheaper power. Your home grown renewable energy will not happen as long as net metering is not allowed in South Carolina.
We can only hope that Santee Cooper would start a real “true net metering” program and fund a rebate for solar panels instead of spending $2.7 million dollars to giving away light bulbs.
And the flying pig? It seemed like a fitting symbol for renewable energy that was once thought impossible.