I always enjoy Donnie Johnston's column. I enjoy it more when it is non-political.

I am sorry that he had such a bad experience with solar power ["Shine a light on solar power," Dec. 27]. His response is not typical.

I have recently returned from Colorado, and the roofs there are covered with solar panels. Owners say that they are working well.

Even Virginia must have a large number of solar power users, since Dominion Power has just proposed a "stand- by" fee for those who have solar generators and connect into the grid.

Those users feed excess electricity into the system, for which they get paid, and can draw power when their solar units are not generating enough. They pay for any electricity they use.

I agree that various types of green energy cannot provide all the electricity we need. We will have to rely on coal, natural gas, petroleum, and nuclear sources for a long time to come. It seems to me that the solution is to use all of the above.

Mary J. Anderson

Caroline