appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Seamus Fitzgerald is often met with varying views on solar energy. As the associate director of real estate at OneEnergy Renewables, a solar development firm, he engages with farmers and landowners throughout the Midwest, presenting proposals to lease their land for solar initiatives. While some landowners are eager to partake in the transition to renewable energy, others express strong opposition to the idea of installing rows of shiny solar panels on their land.
Fitzgerald successfully persuades numerous farmers by outlining the straightforward economics of leasing their land for solar energy. “Ultimately, the financial returns from these projects tend to exceed what individuals can earn from traditional crop production,” he explained. To alleviate concerns from skeptics, he often highlights that the technology originated in the U.S. “When you set up a solar installation, you’re harnessing an American resource right here in America,” Fitzgerald remarked.
This perspective resonates with how President Donald Trump discusses energy, though he typically champions American oil and gas rather than renewables. Nonetheless, the Solar Energy Industries Association, the main advocacy group for the sector, has adeptly aligned its initiatives with the administration’s messaging. Prominently displayed on its website, alongside an image of the American flag hovering over solar panels, is a new motto: “American Energy DOMINANCE.” Earlier this month, the association engaged in a lobbying push in Washington, DC, urging lawmakers to maintain tax incentives for clean energy projects.
Last year, solar contributed nearly 6 percent of the total electricity generated in the U.S., and its growth trend is promising, expected to account for “almost all growth” in electricity generation this year, according to the pre-Trump Energy Information Administration. Many hope that this technology—widely embraced by the American public, with 78 percent in favor of expanding solar farms—can avoid getting entangled in Trump’s climate change culture wars. Unlike wind energy, characterized by its towering turbines, solar power has the unique capacity to unite diverse ideological groups, drawing support from both environmental advocates and “don’t-tread-on-me” libertarians.
“President Trump has explicitly stated that he appreciates solar—and as the demand for energy increases, we recognize that solar is the quickest and most economical means to significantly enhance the energy grid,” stated Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, in a communication with Grist.
In December, her trade organization unveiled a policy roadmap that aligns with Trump’s agenda, emphasizing goals such as “reducing dependency on China” and “streamlining processes in the energy sector.” This marks a shift from the vision the association articulated in 2020 following the election of President Joe Biden, when Hopper vowed to “address the climate era with a focus on equity and justice at the forefront.”
