The US Solar Power Industry Is Trying to Rebrand as MAGA-Friendly

This communicative originally appeared connected Grist and is portion of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Seamus Fitzgerald hears a batch of opinions astir star power. As the subordinate manager of existent property astatine OneEnergy Renewables, a star vigor developer, helium approaches farmers and different landowners crossed the Midwest with proposals to lease their properties for star projects. Some landowners are excited astir being portion of the displacement to cleanable energy. Others are hostile to the thought of putting rows of gleaming panels connected their land.

Fitzgerald manages to person galore farmers by explaining the elemental economics of leasing their onshore for star power. “At the extremity of the day, the fiscal payments from these types of projects are mostly higher than what folks tin propulsion disconnected of their crushed done different types of crops,” helium said. To merchantability star powerfulness to radical who mightiness person hesitations, helium often talks astir however the exertion was invented successful America. “When you instal a star project, you’re collecting an American assets present successful America,” Fitzgerald said.

It echoes the mode that President Donald Trump talks astir energy, though he’s usually heaping praise connected American lipid and gas, not renewables. Still, the Solar Energy Industries Association, the industry’s superior lobbying group, has recovered plentifulness of ways to align its enactment with the administration’s talking points. Now splayed across its site, adjacent to an representation of an American emblem hovering implicit star panels, is simply a caller slogan: “American Energy DOMINANCE.” Earlier this month, the relation participated successful a lobbying blitz successful Washington, DC, urging lawmakers to support taxation credits for cleanable vigor projects successful place.

Solar provided almost 6 percent of full US energy procreation past year, but it’s been increasing accelerated and is expected to proviso “almost each growth” successful energy procreation this year, according to the pre-Trump Energy Information Administration. Many are hoping that the technology—which is broadly fashionable among Americans, with 78 percent supporting processing much star farms—can negociate to enactment retired of Trump’s civilization wars implicit clime change. More truthful than upwind powerfulness with its towering turbines, star vigor has an quality to span ideological divides, appealing to environmentalists and “don’t-tread-on-me” libertarians alike.

“President Trump has specifically said that helium loves solar—and arsenic vigor request soars, we cognize that star is the astir businesslike and affordable mode to adhd a batch of vigor to the grid, fast,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, the Solar Energy Industries Association’s president and CEO, successful a connection to Grist.

In December her commercialized radical released a argumentation roadworthy map that reflects Trump’s agenda, with priorities specified arsenic “eliminate dependence connected China” and “cut reddish portion successful the vigor sector.” It’s a alteration from the imaginativeness the relation laid retired successful 2020 aft the predetermination of erstwhile president Joe Biden, erstwhile Hopper promised to “meet the infinitesimal of the clime epoch with equity and justness astatine the forefront.”