In his State of the Union address, President Obama noted that
although America invented solar energy technology, we have fallen
behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. He is right of
course.
I remember when America was leading the pack on clean energy in the
1970s. We abdicated that leadership thanks to the influence of a fossil
fuel industry with deep pockets and friends in the White House. But
Obama reminded us of an important aspect of the American character:
ingenuity. We are a nation of innovators, and we can harness that
resourcefulness again to build a better future.
I saw that ingenuity emerge three decades ago, when the promise of
renewable energy became clear to many of us. We were so eager to spread
the word about solar power that we created "Sun Day," the solar
equivalent of Earth Day. We had events from Maine to Chicago to the
Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. I even got the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir to participate in one event.
People were just starting to get excited about pollution-free power,
but then Ronald Reagan became president and the solar panels came off
the White House and the policies promoting renewable energy were
stripped from the books.
That same year, a short documentary I produced came out called The Solar Film.
The people interviewed in film say they like how solar power cuts down
on their bills, doesn't have to be imported, and makes them worry less
about terrorists. All of those benefits remain extremely relevant
today, but we have lost three decades in the effort to extend them to
more Americans.
I was too early in my efforts to promote solar power, but now is the
time. We are getting a second chance -- another American trait. If we
don't seize this moment, we will be too late to get the competitive
advantage in a global marketplace, too late for the economic dividends,
and too late to stave off the worst of global warming.
The Obama administration wants to see America double our supply of
renewable energy in the next three years. Many lawmakers want to pass a
national renewable portfolio standard, which would require a certain
percentage of our country's electricity generation to come from clean
sources like solar and wind. Congress will likely vote this year on a
bill to limit global warming pollution that will dramatically expand
the market for clean power. These are the kind of bold, visionary
actions we need right now. I urge you to call on your representatives
to support them.
In this time of economic crisis and uncertainty, I am reminded of
being a child during World War II. I have no nostalgia for the turmoil
and suffering of those days, but I do recall the communal effort, the
sense that we all rallied around to support the greater good. Today we
are trying to achieve the greater good of shared prosperity, and I
believe it will be built on a clean and affordable energy economy. With
enough resourcefulness, I know we can do it this time around.
