There is no use denying the fact that nowadays the world depends on energy greatly. It is impossible to imagine that even one hundred years ago people were able to perform their activity without the usage of electricity. Nowadays, people all over the world consume energy and, that is why the industry which produces it is one of the most important ones in the modern world. However, traditional sources, which are used to create energy are not renewable and they cause harm to our environment.
Under these conditions, renewable and alternative sources of energy should be taken as the only solution to the existing problem as they supply people with cheap and clean energy which is extremely important under modern conditions. Thought, things are not so clear as it might seem at the first gaze and Hawaii’s solar wars can be taken as the best evidence for this statement.
Being an outstanding resort and tourist center, Hawaii can be also called the place where solar energy is widely used and produced. The thing is that conditions for the usage of this kind of energy are ideal. There is a great number of sunny days in a year and people can equip their houses with solar batteries or some kind of solar generator and satisfy their needs in energy. According to the latest statistics, about 12% of houses in Hawaii are equipped with solar generators and solar batteries (Trabish para. 2).
Under these conditions, the traditional approach to the payment for electricity turns out to be inefficient. Modern Net energy metering (NEM) is not able to cope with its tasks anymore and that is why the reason for solar wars appears. “The solar wars began when advocates clamored for the state’s electric utilities to increase the speed of the transition to distributed solar and the utilities pushed back, arguing for a change in the NEM policy” (Trabish para. 3).
With this in mind, it is possible to say that the development of solar energy somehow threatens the traditional pattern of distribution of energy as people do not want to pay money for it, stating the fact that their needs are satisfied by the new kind of energy. However, nowadays, there is a certain solution suggested by economists and specialists in the given sphere. According to this idea, the rates should be restructured for everyone to pay the price for the electricity which he/she buys and sells (Trabish para 6). This suggested pattern could help to solve the existing problem and promote further development of solar energy.
Cogitating about the issue of solar energy and the conflicts connected with it, it is possible to analyze the suggested solution to understand whether it could help to solve this problem or not. The given diagram shows the main tendencies in the sphere of electricity in Oahu, Hawaii.
As it becomes obvious, there is a significant difference in the prices and the level of energetic consumption. Being the source of a new generation, solar energy costs lower than the traditional one and can bring some benefits for the owners of systems that produce it. However, at the same time, there are some fears connected with the possibility of grid defection. The thing is that for decades this traditional approach has been developed and financed.
Changes in the traditional distributional pattern can lead to the collapse of the whole system (Mankiw 25) which is still needed even under the conditions of the blistering development of solar energy. That is why the reason for solar wars is not fabricated as a state wants to protect traditional and developed infrastructure. The thing is that solar energy is still not able to satisfy all needs which exist now. First of all, it depends on whether states as it is impossible to obtain energy in dull days.
Moreover, even the presence of solar batteries cannot be taken as the guaranty of sufficient arrearages of energy. Thus, it is possible to say that despite the blistering development of the issue of solar energy, it is still early to speak about grid defection. People need traditional sources of energy, the product which is good and reliable (Mankiw 50). Yet, taking this fact into account it is possible to assume that variable pricing can be taken as the best way to solve the problem connected with the obtainment and usage of solar energy. People, who use it, should pay less, though, they still are not able to exist without traditional nets and, that is why money for the development of traditional grids will be obtained.
With this in mind, having analyzed the information connected with the given issue, it is possible to make a certain conclusion. It should be said that the widespread of solar batteries and generators resulted in the appearance of the problem connected with the payment for traditional energy. However, the suggested policy of variable prices, which take into account the amount of energy produced and consumed by a person, could be taken as a good solution to an existing problem.
Works Cited
Mankiw, Gregory. Principles of Economics. Boston: Cengage Learning. 2009. Print.
Trabish, Herman. “Is variable pricing the way out of Hawaii’s solar wars?“. Utility Dive. 2015. Web.