The United States is a representative democracy. Citizens vote for politicians who, theoretically, advocate for their needs: things like better healthcare, lower taxes, cleaner air, and new technologies such as solar. But one cannot check off the “solar” box on a voting ballot. Instead, we have to vote for elected officials whom we trust will work on solar policy on our behalf.
Vote Solar was founded in 2002 by Adam Browning and David Hochschild to bring solar into the mainstream by helping to shape solar policy. Among the policy wins that Vote Solar has achieved includes incentives (tax credits and rebates), modernizing our electric grid, expanding access to solar and storage technologies across all economic sectors, and advocating for solar + storage friendly electric rates.
Polls across the U.S. show that solar and renewable energy rate 90% and higher in the minds of voters . The challenge is turning that latent voting power into actual political power. Please Listen Up to this week’s Energy Show as Adam Browning, Vote Solar’s Executive Director, explains how their advocacy efforts have achieved so many solar wins to date — along with the hard work we all have ahead of us as we make solar a mainstream energy source throughout the U.S.