Renewable Energy: The Next Frontier

An exciting new frontier is emerging, with or without the help of the government of the United States: that of renewables. Trump has tried with all of his might to stop renewable energy, from suing to stop a wind farm near his golf courses in Scotland, to slapping tariffs on solar panels, to claiming windmills cause cancer, to rushing through well after mine after pipeline. However, even lacking government initiatives, fossil fuels are in a state of rapid decline. We have always known that fossil fuels would run out eventually, and some seen dead-set on saving the move to renewables until dire circumstances emerge. Recently, science has irrefutably made clear that action is needed on climate change, with fossil fuels being a prime culprit.

In Spain, 3/4 of the coal plants are shutting down without a government mandate in place, while dozens of its neighbors have instituted such mandates. Over the past 20 years, half of all coal plants in the United States have closed down. Oil drilling was recently banned offshore in Florida and momentum is growing in the Pacific and the Atlantic coastline. Major insurers have ruled out covering fossil fuel projects, and local and international resistance has grown stronger than ever.

This makes sense. The costs of coal continues to rise while the costs of wind and solar energy have each declined by 70-80%. Here in Wisconsin alone, 76,000 people work in the renewables sector (Wisconsin is not a state known for renewable energy). This past year, renewables surpassed coal in the power they provide our nation, and there is no forseeable reversal in this trend. The jobs creation potential in renewables is exciting, with millions of employees to be needed for installation, repair, marketing, development, innovation, and countless other aspects.

The benefits to the consumer are also readily apparent. Solar panels save consumers thousands throughout the course of their 15-25 year lifespan. I am well-versed in the benefits that solar panels have, as I took the bronze medal in a statewide essay contest on the subject. Fossil fuels also pollute water and air and unfairly target minority communities, delaying social equality and risking human health.

Renewable energy is the next frontier, and you must choose whether you will be a pioneer or the epitome of close-mindedness, a hindrance to fade in time.