Hi all!
Every quarter, we meet with the ASES Regional Chapters for a policy jam. Earlier this month, Jill Cliburn (ASES Awards Chair) and Joanne Scanlon (United Solar Energy Supporters) presented about barriers to adoption, climate deniers, and addressing NIMBYism.
View the recording here: https://ases-org.zoom.us/rec/share/1e2Rehd2nAzZCD4IRXhXP03vvP_jyeENncBdCN2MeJUMZvmG4eWxIEPnd39kuFRG.GvK8NAz5JFRzNQJJ?startTime=1720021568000, Passcode: %PaY0X#S
Summary:
In July, longtime solar innovator and ASES volunteer Jill Cliburn will join the Policy Jam for a conversation about how controversies regarding siting solar and storage projects have set our country back on its schedule to decarbonize the electricity sector by 2035. High interest rates and interconnection queues have not helped, but according to a study from Berkeley Lab, public opposition is right up there as one of the top three reasons for deployment delays. Jill wrote about solar disinformation, opposition groups and how to overcome them for the Spring 2024 issue of Solar Today. She also presented at the National Solar Conference about common-sense ways that ASES programs and chapters can help. We will talk about where you can readily find factual information resources and which states are already leaders in improving public trust in grid-scale solar solutions. We will also talk about the friction that naturally exists between our preference for small-scale solar and the climate and equity imperative that we also roll solar out through the grid. What are your thoughts about advocacy, especially if you hear anti-solar sentiments rising in your community? Today we are more trusted as neighbors than as solar professionals or experts. But ASES has extra tools to help. ASES has solar experts to turn to to help all our members shape factual and plain-spoken outreach. And we have programs, like the National Solar Tour, that can showcase solar solutions on every scale. As Jill's Solar Today article said, "It's time to stand up for solar!"
Key Points:
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Barriers to solar adoption, overcoming public opposition, Challenges and disinformation in the industry
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Challenges: Siting authority conflicts, local opposition, misinformation, and high interest rates and interconnection queues delay deployment
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Public opposition is a significant barrier, discussed personal encounters of community resistance to large-scale solar projects
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Importance of factual information and community trust
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Need for both small-scale and large-scale solar deployment
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Strategies to overcome this:
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Engage with community members through face-to-face conversations
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Use social media and local publications for advocacy
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Highlight benefits and address concerns within the local community
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Share examples of case studies and success stories from various regions
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Use resources such as ASES programs, webinars, and the new Grid Modernization division
Please let me know if I can provide any additional information. Thank you!
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Ella Nielsen
Membership & Engagement Director
American Solar Energy Society
Boulder CO
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