Support for solar energy usage among the public of Tennessee is high. Eighty-one percent of Tennessee voters support the growth of solar energy, and many want it installed in their own homes as well. These polling results come from the conservative polling firm, North Star Opinion Research, and the survey was conducted among voters from a variety of ages, races, genders and geographic locations.
Brian Bickel, who sits on the board of the Tennessee Solar Industries Association, says the results confirm what the industry is seeing.
"I'm not surprised by the support for solar at all," he says. "I think, in this day and age most people want to see more of it. They recognize the value of clean and renewable energy. I think they expect their utility to support them in their efforts to generate clean power on site."
Bickel says the confirmation of public support comes at a critical time when the Tennessee Valley Authority is making solar less economic and accessible for customers. The regional power provider does have a program allowing customers to sell up to 50 kilowatts of green energy back through their local power provider in the service area.
The survey also revealed that people would prefer to pay for their electric bill based on usage rather than a fixed rate, which is what TVA proposed earlier this year.
Stephen Smith, the executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, says the agency is proposing policies that would charge people regardless of how much energy they use.
"What TVA wants you to do is pay whether you use electricity or not, and they're the only business that I know of that wants you to have to pay something whether you use their product or not, and it's really grossly unfair," laments Smith.
According to industry estimates, solar panels can cost around $20,000 or more to install, but Bickel says property owners are making an investment that will ultimately pay for itself.
Tennessee ranks 20th across the country in terms of installed solar capacity, but Bickel and others say with 200 days of sun on average each year, the state has the potential to harness much more energy from the sun and would greatly benefit from taking advantage of this renewable resource.