Column: Keep on the sunny side

Last week, UNC got a little bit brighter. The Student Union now hosts 64 solar panels on its roof, courtesy of UNC representatives, the Carolina Union, Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee of Student Government, Strata Solar, SMA America, Shoals Technologies and City Electric Supply.

This is, of course, a great accomplishment for a University that gets a lot of criticism for its lack of a progressive energy agenda.

But what this great stride toward a sustainable campus doesn’t show is the dim outlook for renewable energy in the rest of North Carolina.

In recent months, North Carolina politics has not shown favor to the clean-energy industry. In two major legislative actions, our state government has essentially written off the growing renewable-energy market.

First, the legislature voted to end renewable-energy tax credits. To many, this government investment is seen as a crutch that solar businesses lean on. This might be true, but with new developments in technology, mass production and business models, the solar industry eventually won’t need them.

Ending government funding at this stage is poor timing, and even incrementally phasing out the credits is better than completely ending them. Now is simply not the right time to get rid of these credits.

Let’s not forget other industries that still receive government funding. Doesn’t it seem wrong that the oil industry benefits from government subsidies, yet we are taking away money from solar instead?

Because human and environmental costs are still not factored into profits, oil is seen as more profitable than solar. These profits could help taxpayers through government programs and benefits, yet the money is kept in the pockets of oil companies. Why are oil companies capable of differing tax liabilities while less profitable industries, such as solar, are held under more scrutiny?

Freezing the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard for future years was the second strike against clean energy in North Carolina. This action created a lack of incentive or obligation for utility companies like Duke Energy to expand renewable-energy projects.

North Carolina enjoys the 4,000 jobs solar energy created in this state, not to mention jobs in other areas of renewable energy. Without an ever-increasing portfolio standard, workers in a growing, thriving part of North Carolina’s job market are at risk.

It is disappointing that we as a state are headed in a backward trajectory with our energy development. What we can hope for now is to quickly learn from these decisions and put North Carolina back on track to being a competitive and progressive player in an ever-evolving industry.

Politics should never determine our energy mix. There was a time where the strive for clean energy was bipartisan, and our state and country need effort on both sides to create a better economy and energy future.