Diving Deeper Into GND. Following up to yesterday’s thoughts I wanted to get deeper into GND and the politics. First is the podcast, Pod Save America, which is about the most popular podcast in America bringing the topic to the mainstream and breaking down the reasons for the Green New Deal. Second is looking at a tweet from David Axelrod, courtesy of Jonathan Silver commenting on it so that I had it in my timeline. People are talking about climate change and environmental issues but forgetting about the renewable energy component of it, more on that to come.
SEIA’s Position. I wanted to see where SEIA was regarding the largest proposal that impacts our industry in DC. Here is the comment from SEIA CEO, Abby Hopper: “Climate change is real, and I am glad the Green New Deal takes a big and bold approach to deep decarbonization. There is no doubt that solar will play a significant role in slashing greenhouse gases. That said, any climate solution must have bipartisan support. We look forward to seizing this new momentum and working with members of Congress in both parties on policies that expand solar deployment, reduce electricity costs for hardworking families and help decarbonize the American economy.”
But, There’s A Shift. Right as I got this comment from SEIA, which is in line of my personal tendency to go towards the goal line (compromise), possible primary contender and GOP leader, Governor John Kasich, came out to tell the GOP to stop denying climate change. This wasn’t a philosophical or ideological statement and this is where we tend to be wrong on energy policy. The comment from Kasich was a political reality that voters support renewable energy policies and environmental preservation by enormous margins. Voting against solar is simply put, bad politics and that is the argument we should be making in DC and State Capitols. That is the message we should be sending about the GND, cutting red tape and getting rid of every restriction that stops solar from getting on homes is good for a politicians future and supporting incumbent monopolies is bad.
Where It Happens. If you want to see where politics of renewable energy play well, look at States and Cities, municipal utilities and cooperatives that are run by the consumer shareholders. They are the canary in the solar mine.
Companies Weigh In. Texas is a great example that shows where market driven decisions are applied. Wind and solar are the energy source of choice for America’s corporations, including the world’s largest oil majors.
What It Means. I will be doing a deep dive about the politics and what YOU can be doing to get involved. A new SolarWakeup podcast drops tomorrow and I will have political insiders at SolarWakeup Live! in Boston on March 26th. Get your tickets now, we have about 25% of the space left. solarwakeuplive.com
- Pod Save America: “The Green Book New Deal.”
- Axios: John Kasich to fellow GOPers – Stop denying climate change
- Utility Dive: Bloomberg-backed accelerator to help cities meet renewable energy goals
- Greentech Media: Corporates May Be Leaving Millions on the Table by Procuring Wind Over Solar Ercot
- Las Vegas Sun: Officials considering solar power for convention center
- Solar Power World: New York solar advocates use Green New Deal to emphasize Million Solar Strong campaign
- PV-Tech: 1366 Technologies to ramp ‘Direct Wafer’ production at new facility in Malaysia for Hanwha Q CELLS
Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann