Central Hudson has been ranked among the top utilities nationally in terms of its support for solar energy. But its status as among the top 25 percent of utilities in terms of installed solar power does little to burnish the hard numbers for the new industry: of about 300,000 customers for CH electricity, about 525 have solar photovoltaic systems installed or pending.
“It”™s not Central Hudson”™s fault,” said John Wright, vice president of Hudson Valley Clean Energy, based in Rhinebeck. The company has installed more than 500 solar power systems, not all of them in the Central Hudson service territory. “People now have the choice to put a solar system in, but there is so much misinformation out there that people really have to do some fact-finding to get the right information. Every day, for example, we hear people say, ”˜Solar is so expensive; it doesn”™t pay for itself.”™ But it does.”
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation ranks nationally in the top quartile of public and private utilities in support of solar energy in 2009, as reported by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), and among the top 10 companies in the eastern region of United States.
The report also ranks Central Hudson 23rd nationally out of 143 participating utilities in cumulative capacity of customer-installed systems.
“This is a tremendous honor for Central Hudson and the solar industry of the Hudson Valley,” said James P. Laurito, president of Central Hudson. “We”™re proud to be recognized as leaders in support of solar energy, and this ranking is an indication of the continued interest and commitment in the use and development of clean, renewable energy within our region,”
Currently, 405 Central Hudson customers have installed solar systems, with 120 additional systems pending and awaiting installation, out of a customer base of about 300,000.
“That reflects that the solar industry is a fledgling industry, but it growing quickly,” said John Maserjian, media relations director for Central Hudson Gas and Electric, “And solar systems are expensive, even with the incentives offered.”
Wright, of Hudson Valley Clean Energy, said that while solar seems expensive, a closer look shows that savings accrue right away, if the system is financed. While a typical solar residential system might cost about $30,000, much of that is defrayed in rebates from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and through tax breaks. Additionally, Wright said, that many homeowners and business owners can finance their system and begin saving money immediately, paying a monthly loan installment of say, $200, while saving $250 off their electricity bill.
“If a customer finances their system, we can show that their cash flow will be positive from year 1,” said Wright, “That means it will be cheaper for them to put solar into their building now, rather  than continue receiving their power from the utility.”
The math is better than ever, he said, because net metering provisions ”“ arrangements that require utilities to purchase excess solar power from arrays on commercial municipal or residential buildings ”“ have been upgraded this year over previous years. Additionally, Wright said, the costs of installing solar power are decreasing rapidly.
There is more that could be done, he said. Noting that nuclear, coal and oil power all receive huge government subsidies, Wright said that New York and the federal government could create an upsurge in solar power through solar renewable energy credits, (SRECs) ”“ a system already adopted in some states to reward businesses and homeowners who install solar power equipment.
“If the government would shift those incentives from fossil fuels and nuclear it would create a major economic lift,” said Wright. “It would foster a domestic solar industry providing jobs, Â improve our national security by reducing our need for foreign oil and reduce climate change.”
