Peter Walks for Democracy

Today, I have an opinion piece, “Don’t Be Distracted by ‘Inactivists.’ Solar Is the Present and Future,” published on StateCollege.com. It is a response to Josh Portney’s misguided and ill-informed opinion piece on the regional solar power purchase agreement (SPPA). While Portney presents himself as a sleuth and advocate for the truth proves he has a fundamental lack of understanding about the SPPA, governmental processes and the drivers of climate change. I wouldn’t fault readers if they suspected he had been hired by a fossil fuel lobbyist to undermine public confidence in solar power.

Though his opinion piece may give the impression of insider knowledge, Portney has never been to an SPPA Working Group meeting and has no experience that matters. His so-called “concerns” about legal fees and processes have been dealt with in numerous venues. He’s like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He’s lost his legs and arms but still yelling that he will triumph. It’s such a colossal waste of time.

But more importantly, our local governments stand on the cusp of adopting affordable, carbon-free, Pennsylvania energy. Over the project’s 15-year term we will save an estimated $4 million, avoid 240,000 tons of carbon dioxide, and meet young people and voters where they are. Portney doesn’t care.

Please, read the whole opinion piece.

Why? Because Portney is an “inactivist.” He’s saying, “Hey. I support renewable energy, but…but…but…” As my friend, co-author, Nobel laureate and project supporter Michael E. Mann writes in The New Climate War, inactivists like Portney “will go down in history as having ironically sided with wealthy, powerful polluters, rather than ‘the people’ they purport to care about, in the defining battle of our time.”

Leaders do hard things. Teams of leaders do hard things together. We are leaders. I can’t be grateful enough to the team we have here in central Pennsylvania. Despite the difficulties, we keep learning, adapting and focusing on our shared goals. We are doing right today to do even better tomorrow.