Author: Ronald Bethea Published: 6/2/2026 PCPC Online Digital Podcast -Radio-TV Network
“Solar Now and The Future with it’s Economic Impact On Black America”
Summary
Ronald welcomed Ted to the show to discuss solar energy’s economic impact on Black America, noting Ted’s service on the Washington D.C. Public Service Commission and his previous role as director of the DC Sustainable Energy Utility starting in 2011. Ted shared that the DC Sustainable Energy Utility’s 2012 solar program aimed to help low-income residents reduce energy bills, create jobs in the district, and provide economic opportunities for local contractors. He highlighted the significant disparity in solar deployment between wealthier wards in the city, which had thousands of units, and Wards 7 and 8, which had fewer than 24 units combined despite representing a quarter of the city’s area.
DC Solar Program Implementation
Ted discussed the implementation of a solar program in Washington DC wards 5, 7, and 8, which provided free solar systems and community solar subscriptions to over 10,000 households, particularly targeting income-qualified residents. Ronald emphasized the program’s significant impact on communities of color and noted that it inspired the national Solar for All program funded through the Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Ted highlighted that the program created hundreds of jobs over a decade and achieved notable success in reaching nearly half of the 22,000 income-qualified households in the city.
PJM Interconnection Overview
Ronald provided an overview of the PJM (Pennsylvania, Jersey, Maryland) interconnection, explaining that it operates the electric grid for 67 million people across 13 states and manages wholesale electricity markets through daily spot markets and capacity markets. He highlighted that approximately 90% of PJM’s members are vested in the fossil fuel industry, with natural gas, coal, and nuclear power comprising about 70% of the energy mix. Ronald also discussed how renewable energy standards and federal incentives could help reduce fossil fuel dependence while providing environmental and health benefits, particularly noting that many fossil fuel plants were built near communities of color.
PJM Electricity Grid Impact Discussion
Ronald and Ted discussed the impact of PJM’s electricity grid on local situations, particularly focusing on capacity pass-through costs to ratepayers. Ronald explained that capacity costs jumped significantly from $28.92 billion in 2023-2024 to $269.92 billion, with a cap negotiated through a lawsuit by Governor Shapiro and others capping it at $329 billion. Ted provided context about the historical closure of local power plants in the District of Columbia, including the Benning Road plant that ran on oil and a coal plant in Old Town Alexandria, explaining that current electricity now comes from Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia.
D.C. Electricity Price Increases
Ted and Ronald discussed the high electricity prices in the District of Columbia, explaining that the city sources most of its electricity from surrounding states through PJM, which has seen significant price increases over the past two years. Ronald highlighted that the issue is nationwide and attributed it to PJM’s closed renewable energy queue for 7-8 years, while also mentioning data sharing issues with solar panel installations. The discussion revealed that while the Public Service Commission only regulates distribution costs within the city, generation and transmission costs constitute over 60% of customer bills and have been dramatically increasing.
Energy Queue Management Discussion
Ted explained the concept of energy queues using a restaurant analogy, describing how power generation projects need to be managed like orders in a busy kitchen. He discussed how PJM had to temporarily slow new project intake due to being overloaded for several years, while load continued increasing due to factors like data centers that consume as much electricity as entire city wards. Ronald mentioned that data centers accounted for 63% of the $14.7 billion price rise in the 25-26 delivery year and that PJM had implemented a first-ready-first-serve model to address queue management issues.
Interconnection Queue Process Issues
Ted and Ronald discussed the issues with the current interconnection queue process, where solar and battery storage projects were delayed while fossil fuel projects were prioritized. Ronald shared data showing 811 projects are currently in the queue, with only 10% being allowed to be built, which could generate enough power for 165-220 million homes across 13 states if fully developed. Ted agreed that the interconnection process needs fixing, acknowledging it takes too long to bring new projects online and is costing ratepayers millions of dollars.
D.C. Community Solar Interconnection Issues
Ronald and Ted discussed issues with local interconnection and community solar programs in the District of Columbia, focusing on problems with PEPCO’s handling of solar system installations. Ted explained that while residential solar connections are working relatively well with new fairer rules, large community solar systems face complex challenges including transformer upgrades and additional equipment costs that can surprise developers with hundreds of thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses. The discussion revealed that PEPCO had previously installed problematic meters at community solar sites, which led to an order requiring their removal and replacement with revenue-grade meters, though some discrepancies in meter readings still needed to be addressed.
Community Solar Programs Discussion
Ronald and Ted discussed the challenges and opportunities with community solar programs in Maryland and DC. They highlighted the need for better funding and communication to support solar initiatives, noting that while programs like Maryland’s Community Solar Program have grown significantly, there are ongoing financial challenges due to renewable portfolio standard shortfalls. Ted mentioned an upcoming Public Service Commission forum where stakeholders will discuss the costs and future of renewable energy mandates. Ronald emphasized the importance of informing communities about available programs and acknowledged the work of advocates like Sandra Fry in advancing renewable energy initiatives.