Solar energy is a clean energy option that is now more affordable than it was in its early days. Jonathan Scott, well known for his role in Property Brothers, views solar energy as a clean alternative that can save money and provide jobs for Americans in an expanding green industry. In this documentary, Jonathan travels the country to explore the interest in solar energy and the challenges people face when they opt for solar energy. Motivated to film the documentary by his own personal story, Jonathan describes how he decided to install solar panels on his house in Nevada only to discover the net metering program would be cancelled. Net metering allowed consumers to share their excess energy with the energy utility and receive credit on their utility bill—sometimes bringing it to zero. With revenue losses, the utility wanted the state energy commission to change the program in favor of the utility. Citizens were upset they had invested money in solar panels. The utility won and companies such as Sunrun that installed solar panels went out of business. Jonathan decides to learn more about the issue.
In Georgia, Jonathan discovers farmers are interested in using solar panels to help with energy costs for farm buildings like large warehouses that require cooling. Jonathan seeks out energy activists and speaks to Debbie Dooley, Tea Party founder, and to Kay Godwin, a solar activist who wants to help farmers be more profitable. As the activists describe it, the utilities own the production, generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity; they have a legal monopoly for energy provision and do not want to share it.
In Kentucky, Jonathan speaks to a man with black lung disease who describes the loss of coal mining jobs and the changes to coal production—from men going into the coal mines—to strip mining using large equipment and automation. A professor of energy at the University of California, Berkeley remarks that clean energy can involve more jobs than fossil fuel, and, states in recent years, thousands of new solar workers have been hired. In Washington. D.C., an activist persuades an entire neighborhood of 50 homes to install solar panels. Since the city is not a state, there was not any pushback from a state energy commission. In North Carolina a pastor emeritus wants to coordinate efforts for the one hundred churches in the area to start a solar movement; he defies the law and puts up solar panels. The state utility takes them to court, arguing the church cannot buy energy from a third party as it is unlawful. A good listener and convincing speaker, Jonathan presents a strong case that a monopoly energy system is preventing citizens from choosing alternative methods of clean energy that can provide heating, cooling, and electricity and save citizens money. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P.