I began organizing on energy issues in the late 1970’s. The recent coverage of President Carter’s passing reminded me of the promising advances that happened during his administration – from the symbolic installation of solar panels on the White House to the creation of a Department of Energy with funding in research for what we then called “alternative” energy – solar, wind, etc.
When President Reagan took office in 1981, he moved to undo those advances. Symbolically, he took down the solar panels on the White House and he fundamentally shifted the focus of the Department of Energy back toward fossil fuels and nuclear power. I’ve often wondered where we would be today if the trajectory President Carter began would have been maintained.
Fortunately, we have many more opportunities than we did in 1981. Now, in my own ‘third act’, we no longer call energy from the sun “alternative” energy because it is the fastest growing source of energy production coming online. It’s not only the energy of the future, increasingly it’s the energy of today. Lots has changed over the past 4 years, with special thanks to the Biden Administration and climate activists everywhere. Worldwide, energy from the sun is now the quickest and cheapest energy source to bring online.
Third Actors in Minnesota, and nationally, are gearing up to make sure we continue this momentum by working to speed up the transition to clean energy. Much of our work will focus at the local and state level including:
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- Opposing efforts by the fossil fuel industry and their financial supporters to slow the clean energy transition by investing in new fossil fuel production and delivery systems. This means pressing banks, insurance companies, and state pension investment boards to shift their resources away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. We’ll also be expanding efforts to have individuals follow their values and make investments in ways that speed up the energy transition while still providing a good financial return.
- Expanding efforts that speed up the growth of clean energy. We will pressure public utility commissions to aggressively speed up the clean energy transition and we will support state legislation and local ordinances that speed up the transition. We’ll also take action when we can to help ensure funds allocated to address the climate crisis in the Inflation Reduction Act are fully distributed and targeted to where they are most needed.
- Building capacity and people power for the future. Third Actors have already made an impact over the short few years since we began. Elders have put time, energy and skills to work to help create the changes we’ve already seen. And we know that we need more people willing to fight for short term victories and build toward the day when we can again make national policy changes. In Minnesota we will be actively working to expand our membership around the state, develop new skills and activate existing skills, and come together in collective action.
We’re very excited about conversations that have begun among a broad array of organizations toward a national mobilization around the autumnal equinox that will elevate and celebrate the energy transition that is underway. The plan is for events around the country.
So no, we’re not going to wait for a new administration, there is plenty to do and we hope you’ll join us. If you haven’t joined Third Act Minnesota and want to, go to https://thirdact.org/minnesota/join/ and you will get regular updates of our activities and opportunities for your involvement. If you want more information on specific areas of our work, you can email thirdactmn@gmail.com .
This year we will build even more momentum for a clean energy future!
- David Mann, volunteer member of Third Act MN Coordinating Committee