From the CEO: Clean Energy Politics

Navigating business and politics can be challenging. I strongly believe that renewable energy companies need to support, drive and lead in politics - to get the leaders and policies we need and want. The goal is for better policy, not partisanship — ultimately, federal and state legislative and regulatory work is critical to long-term viability of solar, wind and energy storage. In recent years, the renewable energy industry has not been successful at the federal level in implementing broad, long-term policy. This work is time consuming, expensive and challenging but is valuable and necessary as we continue to bring renewable energy to more communities across the country.

When I started out in environmental work in the early 1990’s it was easier to find a bipartisan approach towards good energy and environmental policy. I worked for the League of Conservation Voters that did a famous scorecard of environmental/conservation vote tracking for Members of Congress. We had a number of champions from both parties and were able to make significant progress as a result. The current landscape doesn’t reflect this past, but we should be driving the point that clean energy is good business and good for the environment — it should be supported by all.



Our industry has a number of things we can stand behind: innovation, customer-demand, and economics. Citizens and companies want cleaner energy and we need dynamic leadership that will lead exciting and bold public policy to realize our clean energy future. This fall, renewable energy employees, leaders and supporters need to get political! You must vote for your jobs, for your children’s future, and for public policy that accelerates our industry growth at all levels of Government.  

Last week, I hosted a giant house party for Jared Polis who is running for Governor in Colorado — he is pushing for a 100% renewable energy standard by 2045. Not because it is easy, or simple or even good politics, but because he understands politicians need to lead (JFK did not say lets get 50 or 70% to the moon!) So let us all be bold, set the targets, and build the companies, industry and policy framework to get to our moon — and quickly!

–J.W. Postal, Founder & CEO



Evan Hung