Dear Editor,
Energy bills are skyrocketing nationwide. There is no ‘silver bullet’ solution – gas and oil prices fluctuate based on geopolitical events; coal is ever more expensive to maintain but provides a baseline power that is still required; nuclear is bogged down in red tape and cost overruns.
Consider the humble solar panel. Flat, inoffensive, quiet – and increasingly cheap and in demand. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the cost to generate solar power is about 40% cheaper compared to legacy fossil fuel generation. 54% of new electricity supplied to the grid came from solar panels; that number skyrockets to 79% if the effect of solar + battery electricity storage is combined.
Locally, Alliant Energy recently allowed customers to tap into this solar boom, by offering ‘community solar’. Alliant fronts the cost to install a solar farm, and customers have the option to ‘purchase’ 250mW blocks. The clean, green electricity generated by your block then goes to offset your monthly power bills.
Installing solar panels isn’t an option for everyone, and those with limited roof space, in apartments, or with limited funds have been left out of the cold for now. I would advocate for our local utilities to consider more, and larger, community solar projects to facilitate access to the cheapest and increasingly most abundant power source we have going. Let the sun shine in!
Sincerely, Nathan Dombeck Janesville, WI