Don’t run an extension cord through water or snow

Does solar energy make sense

for you? The benefits and the costs of renewable energy

Many consumers are more interested than ever in renewable energy, especially the potential of solar power. While solar energy is a carbon-free, zero-emission energy source, it relies on a steady supply of sunshine.

At Pioneer Electric Cooperative, our first priority is to be good stewards of the money our members invest in their utility. As a result, we have approached solar with caution. For a long time, large-scale production was simply too expensive to make sense for the people we serve.

In recent years, that has changed. When our wholesale power provider, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, shared its plans for the Wing Solar Project in Covington County, it gave Pioneer Electric the chance to partner with them to generate renewable energy at a scale that made financial sense.

The facility, which is expected to be operational in 2022, will add 80 megawatts of solar-generated energy to our power supply mix. That’s enough energy to power about 13,000 homes each year.

But even at that scale, renewable solar power comes with its drawbacks. It is still an intermittent generating source, meaning it only produces power when the sun is shining. On overcast winter days or during the night, those solar panels will not produce any power and our system will continue to rely on traditional resources such as natural gas to ensure a reliable energy supply.