Watt’s the Deal ... with the War on Solar? How Can Renewables Win?

Watt’s the deal ... with the war being waged against the solar and renewable energy industries?

You might think that a “war on solar” is aggressive language, but this war is far from a secret. The President, his cabinet, and many conservative lawmakers publicly attack renewables as“the green new scam”and spread misinformation about its cost and reliability. Sadly, their aggressive actions speak even louder than their words.

• This administration has led therepealof the IRA’s clean energy subsidies.
• They’ve used presidentialexecutive ordersto add hurdles to renewable energy development and favor more expensive fossil fuels.
• They’ve abruptlycanceled approved permitsfor renewable energy and transmission projects that are already under construction.
• They’ve clawed backhundreds of millions in grants for community solarand grants for low-income people.
• They’ve even proposed that fossil fuel pollution isn’t harmfulto our health.

In short, this administration hasweaponized the governmentto do everything in its power—no pun intended—to slow down renewable energy’s growth. There is no longer a level playing field or an “all-the-above” U.S. energy strategy.

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If they win, the casualties will be good-paying jobs, businesses, cleaner air, and climate action. America will also become less competitive with China. Worst of all for everyone, electricity prices are going to continue to rise faster than inflation.

But here’s the good news: I know that we can and will win this war. Why? Follow the money: Despite all these challenges, solar and energy storage are still thecheapestto and fastest way to build new capacity for AI data centers. Nuclear, gas, and coal can’t compete for speed or cost.

But economics and technology can’t win the war alone. For renewables to truly win, we need to win the hearts and minds of local and national policymakers and consumers.

People must be aware and care that solar and storage companies are:

• Decreasing electricity bills.
• Creating jobs.
• Helping farmers
• Contributing tax revenue where we build projects.
• Earning a return for investors
• And did I mention decreasing electricity bills? That’s worth repeating.

If we can’t make consumers and policy makers care about the benefits of solar, storage, and other renewables, we’ll still win the war on solar. But it’s going to take a lot longer.

In short, if we’re not in the news, we lose. I’ll share some ideas about how we can win more hearts and minds in a future post.

And that’s Watt’s the Deal!