On
Wednesday, Raleigh, N.C.-based power company
Progress
Energy Inc. announced a plan to expand the use of solar energy in the Carolinas
and Florida
by more than 100 megawatts over the next decade. “The move makes Progress
Energy the latest in a string of U.S. utilities that have committed to buying
more power generated from renewable sources,”
Reuters
reports.
The utility’s string of initiatives include
incentives for residential customers who buy solar installations for their
rooftops. The program would offer $1.50 to $2 a watt, or about 25 percent of
the installed cost of the solar system. Progress will also offer incentives for
solar water heating for both residential and commercial customers and will
install solar rooftop systems on selected schools in its service area at no
cost to the schools.