Last week, my colleague Mike Casey and I attended the latest of the Earthshot Foundation’s Terranaut Almanacs Series. The panelists engaged in a really smart dialogue about continuing the growth of the new energy economy, hitting upon such mechanisms as master limited partnerships and solar real estate investment trusts (S-REITs), and the need for a “fit of rationality” from Congress to pass a long-term energy policy.
But this blog is about communicating energy, not financing energy. And, the always provocative Jigar Shah made the best point of the day:
Renewable energy doesn’t suck! Stop saying it does!
I couldn’t agree more. As Dr. John Byrne of the Center for Energy & Environmental Policy pointed out, all the disruptive technologies in energy are in the renewable sector.
But the renewable sector suffers from Eeyore Syndrome. It’s not surprising that renewable energy advocates can feel like the “old grey donkey” considering the uneven playing field with the fossil fuel sector and political witch hunts.
To get ahead, we need to snap out of it! Renewable energy is awesome and we should be talking about. A lot. Because, without a doubt, opponents of the clean economy will continue their negative drumbeat.
So, the next time you want to say, “woe is me,” tell yourself “don’t be Eeyore.” Instead, get excited about all the positive things happening with renewable energy and tell everyone you can.
This was originally posted at Scaling Green and was republished with permission.
