The green energy industry is obviously delighted about Joe Biden’s US presidential win. Biden wants to rejoin the Paris Accord, rapidly accelerate green energy, and create millions of green energy jobs. Here’s what five CEOs had to say about the president-elect.
Green energy CEOs on Biden
Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO, Solar Energies Industries Association: I want to personally congratulate Joe Biden for his apparent victory in the 2020 presidential election. President-elect Biden’s plan to combat climate change enables our industry to create hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs across the country. We look forward to working with his administration and Congress on policies that reduce carbon emissions including tax policies that pave the way for greater adoption of solar energy and energy storage.
I also want to congratulate Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on the historic nature of her election and all who won election to Congress. Solar consistently has a 90% approval rating and the majority of Americans on a bipartisan basis support taking action on climate change. Solar power creates jobs in red districts and blue districts alike and improves the environment.
In the coming weeks, we will outline our 100-day plan with the new administration and with members of Congress. The plan includes executive branch policies and legislative proposals to lay the foundation for a strong clean energy economy. The 100-day plan is organized around three strategic principles: clean energy and climate policy; infrastructure and workforce development; and ensuring markets are competitive and open to clean energy.
Tom Kiernan, CEO, American Wind Energy Association: We look forward to collaborating with his administration and Congress as we work together to shape a cleaner and more prosperous energy future for America.
The president-elect and his team have laid out an ambitious, comprehensive approach to energy policy that recognizes renewable energy’s ability to grow America’s economy and create a cleaner environment, while keeping electricity costs low and combating the threat of climate change.
The US wind sector and its growing workforce of over 120,000 Americans stand ready to help put that plan into action and support the Biden administration in delivering on the immense promise of renewable energy to add well-paying jobs to the U.S. economy and reach the President-elect’s 100% target for a carbon-free America by the middle of this century.
Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy: The American Council on Renewable Energy congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for his victory in this historic election. The nation’s renewable energy sector looks forward to working with the new administration and Congress to realize the clean energy future that Americans want, and scientists say we need.
We commend President-elect Biden for his pledge to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement immediately. The time has come for the US to move beyond climate denial and resume a global leadership role in the fight against climate change.
An accelerated transition to renewable power provides both climate protection and economic prosperity. With more than $60 billion in annual investment, and two of the nation’s fastest-growing job categories — wind turbine technician and solar power installer — renewable energy can help power America’s economic recovery, as it did in 2009.
Liz Burdock, CEO, Business Network for Offshore Wind: The American electorate voted for a future that focuses on climate change solutions, reengages on the international stage, and commits to addressing racial and social inequity across our nation.
The election of President-elect Joe Biden puts the offshore wind energy industry on the precipice of substantial growth with the support of an Administration that promises to put significant focus back on renewable energy, offshore wind among the beneficiaries.
Dr. Stephen A. Smith, executive director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE): The people have spoken by casting more votes for Joe Biden than any other presidential campaign in history. The differences between the candidates in this year’s election could not have been more stark, and Biden’s election is a victory for climate as time is running out to address serious climate disruption. Clean energy and climate change became prominent issues with voters in this election, and President-Elect Biden has committed to invest in clean energy solutions to ensure our well-being for generations to come.
SACE is hopeful that President-Elect Biden’s belief in science, acknowledgment of the government’s role in solving the climate crisis, and commitment to doing so in an equitable and fair way will play a pivotal role in moving us collectively to a safer, healthier, more vibrant future. We also hope President-Elect Biden will prioritize appointments to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors so that the largest public power entity in the United States can be a living laboratory for clean energy innovation.
It’s now time that we come together to ensure that the will of the people prevails, and to support the Biden-Harris Administration as they begin the important work of improving our economy and environment through clean energy solutions.
Electrek’s Take
None of these opinions from five green energy heads come as a surprise, but their official statements certainly need to be heard.
They reinforce what Electrek has asserted all along: That Biden’s presidency, assuming he can reach across the aisle and get the Republican-majority Senate to cooperate, will benefit and promote the green energy industry in the form of funding, business, and jobs. And ultimately, it will be good for the climate and the planet.
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