Bureaucratic delays, not technology, are the main barrier to distributed solar growth
By
Ryan Kennedy
1d ago· 7 min readenInsight
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Summary
Distributed solar deployment faces its biggest bottleneck from bureaucratic processes rather than technological limitations, according to Freedom Power CEO Bret Biggart. The article highlights stark contrasts in interconnection timelines—two weeks in Texas versus 70 days in North Carolina for identical installations—blaming inconsistent permitting, utility coordination, and regulatory hurdles. Biggart argues that technology is ready but process inefficiencies are preventing solar from scaling at the pace needed for grid decarbonization.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledIn Texas, we routinely connect a residential solar-plus-storage system in under two weeks. In North Carolina, an identical job can take 70 days.
The two installations used the same equipment, the same installation methods, and met the same safety standards. One just ran into a lot more bureaucracy than the other.
Distributed solar deployment faces its biggest bottleneck from bureaucratic processes rather than technological limitations.
Distributed solar deployment faces its biggest bottleneck from bureaucratic processes rather than technological limitations, according to Freedom Power chief executive officer Bret Biggart.
