MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – This Sunday, at least one North Carolina church will be thankful for the sunny weather of late. First Baptist Church of Mount Olive recently worked with a private company to construct two solar farms on its property - generating more than 20,000-megawatt hours of energy every year.

Senior Pastor Dennis Atwood says the revenue generated from selling the energy back to the power grid will underwrite several of the church's ministries.

"A lot of churches are struggling financially, and this has been a really incredible asset to give us an additional stream of revenue to help us keep doing the good things that we've been doing," he explains.

The amount of energy generated by the solar farm - which was formerly used as farmland - is enough to power nearly the entire population of the town of Mount Olive and displaced more than 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

Atwood says in addition to the solar farm making financial sense for his church, it also fell in line with their desire to follow through on their religious mission.

"It's a matter of stewardship for us and we didn't want the land to be developed for some purpose that would be contrary to the mission of our church," he says. "And solar farming is clean energy, and it's a good use of the earth and it essentially goes back to providing power for almost an entire town."

The average solar installation in North Carolina is about 33 acres and an installation of its size would generate almost $17,000 annually.

Solar farms also contribute to local tax bases. During its construction, the Mount Olive solar farm was responsible for almost a half-million dollars in Wayne County.


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LANSING, Mich. - High utility costs are a major burden for Michigan's low-income residents, and a new study says they have an impact on their health, too.

For some Michiganders, one third of their household income goes to energy bills, according to research from the Michigan League for Public Policy.

Energy bills were one of the main reasons for 'Michigan 211' calls, even pre-pandemic - and since March 2020, the helpline has received more than 68,000 requests for help paying utility bills.

Julie Cassidy, senior policy analyst with the League, said investing in home improvements in areas with high energy cost burdens is necessary to ensure a better quality of life.

"By addressing some of these housing quality issues," said Cassidy, "and really trying to get back to these root causes in terms of housing discrimination, we can not only help families today lower their energy bills, but we can also help to make them healthier. And that's something that all people of Michigan deserve."

The report examines the impact of racial discrimination in housing policies, and found connections between poor housing quality and health issues.

For instance, asthma episodes are often triggered in the home. Michigan has one of the nation's highest adult asthma rates, at just over 11%.

At the Genesee County Community Action Resource Department, Executive Director Stephanie Howard said they work to lower energy bills for lower-income families, with weatherization and other programs.

But in some cases, when a home is in such poor condition or a roof needs repairs, they can't be much help. Howard said she would like to see Michigan lawmakers set aside funding to fix roofs first, so the weatherization efforts will make a difference.

"If you think about one of the key elements of shelter, it's literally having a roof over your head," said Howard. "So, without a much-needed solution as to how to have that roof in good condition, there will be many residents that will ultimately be unable to stay in their homes due to the failing roof."

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has set aside $5 million in her proposed 2022 budget for a pilot program to make the home repairs necessary for energy-efficiency improvements.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A new report shows an effort by investor-owned utilities in the Sunshine State to block the growth of rooftop solar.

The Environment Florida Research & Policy Center report follows a money trail, claiming utilities have spent millions to undercut the advances in solar power, in Florida and six other states, and at the federal level.

Ryann Lynn, climate and clean energy advocate with the Center, said the companies' main targets have been to restrict or eliminate net-metering programs.

Net metering allows private solar users to get credit for energy they add to the grid. Lynn said utility companies also add new, fixed charges to solar-power systems.

"We've also found financial records showing that this money goes for putting together front groups to put out reports claiming that pro-solar policies hurt customers," said Lynn, "or that some policy that is helpful to the growth of solar should be changed for some reason."

Other groups, like the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, say it takes a strong show of support to fight the influence of investor-owned utilities.

That was the case a year ago when Florida's Public Service Commission decided not to change the state's net-metering rule for at least two years. It was hailed as a victory by environmental groups.

And while it may seem like the power companies have now embraced the expansion of solar by building or investing in solar farms, Lynn said her group's research indicates the motive is almost always financial, not environmental.

"If you are producing your own solar via panels on your house and getting paid for that through net-metering policies, or if you're buying into a power purchase agreement through a third-party utility, that interrupts their bottom line," said Lynn. "So, it's not that they're completely anti-solar, but they're against solar that they don't control."

The Solar Energy Industries Association ranks Florida fourth in the nation for solar-power potential, but Lynn said the state is hardly meeting that potential.

Solar accounts for less than 4% of the total electricity generated in the state.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A report outlines how federal efforts to bring solar energy to one in four American households could bring clean energy to communities of all colors, incomes and backgrounds.

Supporters of the 30 Million Solar Homes Initiative said boosting participation in the Rural Energy Savings Program and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program could help more residents, farmers, and small businesses finance solar panels.

Robert Fernatt, advisor to Solar United Neighbors and president of the West Virginia Electric Auto Association, said more West Virginians are seeing the benefits of clean energy.

"National-security advocates, faith-based groups, people that are interested in personal energy independence, disaster preparedness," Fernatt outlined. "We like to say that solar has a large tent: it attracts a lot of different people for different reasons that we can all get behind. "

More than 300 energy equity, climate, business, environmental, faith, and public health organizations have signed a letter calling on Congress to enact the policy recommendations outlined in the report.

Katie Kienbaum, senior researcher for the Energy Democracy Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, said communities have much to gain from reducing use of fossil fuels.

"In the form of savings on your electric bills, or maybe a new job or career opportunity," Kienbaum explained. "In certain communities with peaker power plants, maybe those can be retired, when more of our energy is coming locally from our rooftops and from our own communities."

Fernatt added he installed solar four years ago, and saw a dramatic dip in monthly energy costs.

"My energy bill is $5 a month, every month, so it certainly reduces my energy cost," Fernatt emphasized.

If the 30 Million Solar Homes package is implemented as a whole, the federal government would invest a total of $137 billion over the next five years to help install local rooftop and community solar systems across the country, according to the authors of the report.