SEIA Solar Blog
Through our blog, SEIA staff aim to informing policymakers, the media, and the American public about the benefits of solar energy for today’s economy. Scroll down for a running feed of our blog posts. For a complete archive of press releases, blogs and other news articles, click here.
Abigail Ross Hopper: Why America's Top Businesses Are Also Leading on Solar Energy
While politicians argue over what to do about climate change, top companies are taking action. Some of the largest companies in the United States — including prominent worldwide brands like Apple, Amazon, and Target — are increasingly turning to solar energy to power their businesses.
U.S. Manufacturers Are Helping Build Our Clean Energy Future
SEIA has set a goal for solar to reach 20% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. That massive growth should be fueled by a strong supply chain and manufacturing base here in the U.S.
The Solar+ Decade Takes Flight: A Radical Transformation of Energy Use in America
The following is the speech that Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) delivered at the opening general session at Solar Power International and North America Smart Energy Week.
SPI Sneak Preview: Solar + Storage: Lessons from Two States
Energy storage deployments are growing in the United States, according to recent Energy Storage Monitor reports from Wood Mackenzie and the Energy Storage Association. And states such as New York and Massachusetts require effective, aggressive solar + storage strategies due to weather patterns that necessitate special attention to resilience.
SPI Sneak Preview: Three Ways to Make the Solar Value Chain More Sustainable
It’s easy to confuse ‘renewable’ with ‘sustainable.’ Both principles lie at the core of the solar energy industry. While energy from the sun is renewable, it’s our responsibility to ensure that, as our industry grows, we take the necessary steps to create a sustainable future throughout our entire value chain. Here, I cover three areas where we can drive meaningful change on the path to sustainability.
SPI Sneak Preview: Expanding the U.S. Solar Manufacturing Base
SEIA has set a bold vision for solar energy to account for 20% of all U.S. electricity generation by 2030. To get there, the industry will need to deploy nearly 400 gigawatts (GW) of solar in the next 10 years. Installations at that scale will require an unprecedented amount of manufacturing, from cells and modules to racking and inverters. At SEIA, we know it’s critical to take advantage of this opportunity and establish a vibrant and sophisticated solar supply chain here at home.
It’s Time to Get SMART: Unpacking the Massachusetts Solar Expansion Proposal
On September 5, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) released plans to reform and expand the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program. SMART incentivizes cost effective solar and promises to double the amount of solar in the commonwealth at roughly half the cost of a previous program.
SPI Sneak Preview: The Secret Behind Political Organizing in the New Era of Climate Politics
Climate change is at the center of the national political conversation like never before. In the past year alone we have seen members of Congress propose a “Green New Deal,” activist Greta Thunberg organize a global school strike, over a dozen climate plans from the 2020 candidates and new reports forecasting the catastrophic effects of a warming planet.
The Best Thing We Can Do for Solar Workers This Labor Day: Extend the ITC
Our 242,000 workers are the solar industry’s greatest resource.
SPI Sneak Preview: Providing Reliability and Resilience: The Case for Using Solar + Storage
As storms batter the coasts of New Orleans and wildfires ravage the west, cities and customers are increasingly finding themselves left in the dark and scrambling to restore power. Extreme weather events across the United States are becoming more frequent and their impacts are being felt more broadly each year.