Utilities: Partner with companies like Bloom or watch them take your top customers

Bloom and other fuel cell makers are stealing a page from the solar installers by reducing the up-front cost. Bloom allows customers to buy power as a service rather than buying and installing the equipment themselves. And it has a leasing program in partnership with Bank of America.

Roughly two-thirds of all rooftop solar installations are owned by a third party such as a solar leasing company. Exelon subsidiary Constellation Energy already develops, owns and operates distributed energy and distributed solar projects for retail customers.

Jesse Berst

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