Solar Incentives: Who's Really Benefiting and Why We're Still Screwed

The Solar Industry's "Silver Linings"? More Like Fool's Gold

Okay, so the federal solar tax credit is about to vanish like a fart in the wind, thanks to that orange menace. But don't worry, folks, because some Durham, North Carolina, company called EnerWealth Solutions has a "plan." They're gonna buy up solar panels, rent 'em to homeowners, and pass along the "savings." Seriously?

Is this what we've come to? Desperate measures from a dying industry? It's like trying to bail out the Titanic with a teacup. They expect us to believe this nonsense, and honestly...

Leasing Solar Panels: A Brilliant Idea or Just Another Scam?

The article paints this leasing strategy as some kind of genius workaround. But let's be real: it's just financial gymnastics to squeeze a few more bucks out of a system that's already rigged against the average Joe. And it's only for two years! What happens then? Do they come rip the panels off your roof?

And get this: they’re targeting places like North Carolina, where, surprise, surprise, state support for rooftop solar is "waning." Funding dried up, bill credits are shrinking. So, basically, they’re swooping in to exploit a market that's already been left for dead. Real classy.

This whole thing reminds me of those "rent-to-own" furniture places. You end up paying three times the actual value, but hey, at least you get a couch, right? Except in this case, you're renting sunshine. Give me a break.

Wait a minute, the first customer is a CPA and financial consultant for solar firms? “You can’t work in the business and not have solar,” he said. “Right?” Well offcourse he thinks it's a great idea! How about asking someone who isn't already drinking the Kool-Aid?

The "Ebb and Flow" of Policy: More Like a Tsunami

The article quotes some solar industry veterans who are "used to the ebb and flow of policies." Ebb and flow? That's one way to put it. I'd call it a goddamn rollercoaster of broken promises and backroom deals.

And then there's the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (I'm sure it is) that killed the 30% tax credit. Sales are up before the incentive dies, but then—BAM—crash. It's like a Black Friday stampede, except instead of TVs, people are fighting over the last scraps of government handouts.

Oh, and Trump "clawed back" $7 billion in grants for low-income households. $156 million of that was supposed to go to North Carolina. Attorney General Jeff Jackson is suing, calling it "illegal." Good for him, but I'm not holding my breath.

Speaking of low-income families, how exactly are they supposed to afford renting solar panels? Are we seriously pretending this is some kind of egalitarian solution? It's just another way for corporations to profit off the illusion of sustainability.

It's all so tiring. You know what I'm tired of? I'm tired of my neighbor's stupid leaf blower. Every damn Saturday morning, it's whrrrrrrrrrrrr for two hours straight. Can't we solve that problem before we try to save the planet?

Other "Bright Spots": More Like Flickering Bulbs

The article ends on a positive note, mentioning "bright spots" for North Carolina installers. What bright spots? The fact that they can squeeze a few more dollars out of desperate homeowners before the whole thing collapses? You can read more about one such company's plans in One North Carolina company’s plan for keeping rooftop solar going.

I'm sure there are some genuinely good people working in the solar industry. People who believe in what they're doing. But the system itself is so fundamentally broken, so riddled with corruption and short-sightedness, that it's hard to see any real hope for the future.

So, What's the Real Story?

The whole thing stinks. It's a band-aid on a gaping wound, a cynical ploy to keep the money flowing while the planet burns. I'm not buying it. And neither should you.