What a treat it was to visit with Bill Sullivan on the SolarFit Renewable Energy Show. We had a chance to talk not only about my recent trip to Sarasota, Florida, for the FlaSEIA Solar and Storage Summit but also about current challenges and opportunities in the clean energy space.
Here are just a few highlights from our conversation. Click here to listen to the full conversation.
“Our energy production is getting cleaner and cleaner all around the world, but particularly here in the United States, we have a lot we can teach our allies.” CRES President Heather Reams told Sullivan.
Recent CRES Forum polling found 69 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of Independent voters agree climate change is a severe threat. 70 percent of Republicans and Independents said they support the federal government taking action to accelerate the development in use of clean energy in the United States. Specific to solar power, 82 percent of Republicans and 90 percent of Independents support the industry.
That is the kind of data that gives me hope for the future!
But it’s not just support for solar power we need to grow to secure our clean energy future. We also need to increase our storage capabilities—and this requires us to secure our domestic critical mineral supply chain. We can do this by improving and modernizing our permitting processes, so we have a strong domestic supply chain for the critical minerals we need to develop advanced battery technologies.
“So, there’s a number of reasons why we should produce it here in the United States, but also work with our allies around the world who are trying to bring on more renewable energy,” Reams concluded. “This can be a win-win—not just for renewable energy and for a cleaner environment—but really a safer world.”