Citizen concerns with the solar energy/utility interface

Within the community of solar energy, utility rate reform, anti-nuclear, and other citizen groups there exists considerable disagreement as to what role, if any, is appropriate for the utility industry in solar commercialization. Some organizations have encouraged active involvement by municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives while opposing participation by investor-owned utilities. Others have advocated an expansion of solar development programs spo/.nsored through the federal utilities such as the Tennessee Valley Authority. There are also sharp differences over whether utilities should be permitted to own, sell, lease, or install solar hardware. Similarly, there is much debate about whether utilities should finance solar installations or even provide information to their customers about solar technologies. Underlying these differing points of view are concerns about utilities monopolizing segments of the solar marketplace, discrediting solar technologies, goldplating the hardware, and instituting rate structures that discriminate against solar users. Some also feel that there is a basic philosophical conflict in having centralized institutions like utilities commercialize a decentralized technology such as active and passive solar heating equipment. Finally, a number of opponents have argued that there are preferable alternatives to utilities for promoting rapid solar energy use.