92% of America Agrees: Farm the Sun to Fight Climate Change

Earlier today I attended a COP15 keynote event featuring U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack about creating opportunities for rural economies through clean energy investments. I couldn’t agree more and applaud the Administration for its leadership on sustainable farming and working with farmers and ranchers to combat climate change and create economic growth opportunities. When you think about, what the solar industry is really doing is farming the sun for clean energy.

Secretary Vilsack outlined five specific things farmers can do to get the economic benefits of fighting climate change.  When I got a chance to ask the Secretary a question, I asked him, “Why not add a sixth option? Add solar to farms.”

America’s farmers have often been ahead of the rest of the country in adopting good ideas. The vast amounts of agricultural land in America would be perfect for ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays, while barns and other farming buildings could have plenty of roof space for photovoltaic panels. Solar thermal systems can provide all the hot water and heating and cooling needed by a farm. This idea will not only help farmers and ranchers to combat climate change, but generate a self-sustaining energy supply that can pay for itself in as few as three years.

As I mentioned, farmers are often ahead of the curve. But in this case, more than 9 out of 10 Americans are ready for this idea.

Aside from puppies and ice cream, few things in life have 92 percent support. But a recent poll by Kelton Research found that 92 percent of Americans support a pollution-free technology that can increase our nation’s energy security while creating jobs. That technology is solar and the global solar industry leaders are here in Copenhagen to inform delegates about the policies they can enact at a national level to quickly deploy this technology that is supported by 9 out of 10 Americans. Even the Pope has solar.

But getting people to agree that we need more solar isn’t the challenge. Instead, the challenge we as the solar industry face is that policymakers have been providing millions of dollars of subsidies to the fossil fuel industries for the past several decades.

That’s why we’re here in Copenhagen. The evidence is clear that we need to act to fight climate change and we need to do it fast. The solar industry is ready now to do more and do it quickly.