SUN Day Part 2

"The solar revolution means that power can be decentralized, democratized, distributed far more justly. So it makes perfect and hideous sense, given the nostalgia of authoritarians for their version of a golden age (of exclusion, exploitation, and inequality), to tie themselves to the past, with the heavy anchor of all fossil fuel's problems." -  Rebecca Solnit, Meditations in an Emergency newsletter.

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"U.S. solar capacity has grown more than 180 percent over the past five years, and it has accounted for most of the new generating capacity added to the country's grid in the past year as companies found solar—frequently paired with battery storage—the cheapest and fastest way to meet energy demand."

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"Plug-in 'balcony' solar, already widely adopted in Europe, allows households to generate their own clean energy by simply plugging a certified solar system into a standard wall outlet. By updating outdated regulations, Vermont can open the door to affordable, at-home solar for renters, condo owners, and homeowners who have long been left out of the clean energy transition."

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"Think about it this way: When you rely 100% on the electrical grid and utility provider for your power, you're totally at the mercy of their energy rate increases. But when you install solar panels, you suddenly have your own source of energy production.

"Solar panels obviously have an upfront cost, but once you own them, the energy they produce is eternally free, and maintenance costs are very low and predictable. 'That scenario provides you control over the resource and what it costs you,' Rosenblatt said."