"Industry tries to cast cloud over solar use"

As reported by Joby Warrick in the Washington Post, dirty energy industries such as fossil fuels (not to mention nuclear power) have been leading a largely unsuccessful lobbying effort in state legislatures to block rooftop solar photo-voltaics (PV) across the U.S. A part of their defeat was due to support for solar, not only from progressives, but also from conservatives and evangelicals.

But more recently, the cynical utility lobbying effort by the biggest electricity retailers in the country has found more success at friendly state-level public utility commissions, where such impediments as costly surcharges for solar PV panels and net metering have been approved, over widespread protests.

It all boils down to dirty, dangerous, and expensive energy industries -- fossil fuels and nuclear power -- trying to kill the competition from renewables, so they can maintain their century-old electricity sales monopolies.

Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS) of Chicago put out a press release on Feb. 26th, the day Exelon unveiled its mega-bailout request to the State of IL legislature, for ratepayer subsidies to prop up five uncompetitive atomic reactors. NEIS entitled the press release "Exelon Legislation, FERC Comments, a 'Declaration of War' on Renewables and Efficiency, Group Asserts." NEIS Director, Dave Kraft, lays out all the ins and outs of Exelon lobbyists attempted money grab, at the expense of ratepayers' pocketbooks as well as the renewable energy and energy efficiency future of Illinois.

An interesting overlap between the Washington Post's national coverage above, and NEIS's press release: Exelon Nuclear of Chicago wants to takeover the Mid-Atlantic utility Pepco, which serves Washington, DC, Maryland, and Delaware. As the public interest coalition PowerDC has warned, if Exelon does take over Pepco, rooftop solar will be among the first casualties, as Exelon seeks to roll back the competition to its nuclear business model. In fact, Exelon can be expected to jack rates in the Mid-Atlantic, in order to prop up its uncompetitive nukes in IL. In fact, after taking over Baltimore Gas and Electric (Constellation Nuclear) in 2012, Exelon has sought four rate increases since.