The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

Residential solar energy is booming. The Omaha Public Power District saw a 900% increase in applications for connecting residential and commercial solar systems over the past year. The dramatic increase is partially due to the cost of solar panels becoming more affordable.

Over the last decade, the cost of residential solar systems has dropped 64%, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Inflation Reduction Act, which extends the Investment Tax Credit for another 10 years and increases the tax refund from 26% to 30% of the costs of the solar installation, is expected to...